Experts Laud Rwanda’s Proposed Ban on Single Use Plastics

Recently, Rwanda had launched a five-day nationwide public awareness campaign to educate its citizens on the dangers of single-use plastics.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Several experts hailed Rwanda’s proposed ban on single use plastics.  To many of them, the ban is long overdue.

John R. Gakwavu, executive secretary of the Rwanda Environmental Conservation Organization (RECOR) stated that importation of plastic materials including straws, plates and cups end up in double loss for the country. In addition to the money spent on imports, these products cause severe damage to environment. He urged citizens to switch to alternatives like paper plates and cups. Further, he demanded stricter implementation of waste disposal laws in order to prevent waste ending up in landfills.

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The country needs frequent public awareness campaigns to educate its citizens on the benefits of proper waste disposal and recycling. Gukwavu emphasized the need for separating waste at source, through careful disposition of recyclables and trash in respective bins. The government and city authorities need to create more awareness towards proper use of waste disposal facilities. Although some alternatives to plastics are still expensive, they may become cheap in the long run as investment and demand grows, he noted.

Recently, Rwanda had launched a five-day nationwide public awareness campaign to educate its citizens on the dangers of single-use plastics. The campaign titled “Beat Plastic Pollution” was held in connection with World Environment Day celebrations on June 5. Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Vincent Biruta, Minister for Environment, noted that the Ministry is currently revising the law on plastics to include banning single-use plastics including straws, cups, plates and cutlery.

Earlier in 2008, Rwanda had banned use of plastic bags and specific types of packaging. However, smuggled bags from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo defeated the government’s attempts to limit plastic bag usage.

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