Rwanda National Police

The environmental protection campaign continued Thursday across the country with focus on fighting the sell and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags.

Varied quantities of prohibited plastic bags were seized in operations conducted in all districts countrywide.

In Gakenke District alone, Police and local leaders confiscated at least 1,600 cartons of polythene bags.

Similar operations conducted in districts of the Eastern Province yielded into the seizure of 740 cartons of the nylon bags.

At least five boxes of the non-biodegradable products were also taken from shops in the City of Kigali.

The operations were especially conducted in trading centres where Police and local leaders seized the banned plastic products from shelves.

Scores of people caught either selling or using plastic bags were also fined as the law provides.

The week-long environmental protection campaign is part of the ongoing 'Police Month', which is now in its third week.

The first and the second week focused on raising awareness against narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy, respectively.

Environmental protection activities on Thursday also included collecting littered plastic products, including bottles and polythene bags.

Other banned plastic products were seized from traffickers in the countryside as they were being sneaked into the country through illegal border posts, especially in the Northern Province.

“Police are always alert against unscrupulous traders who smuggle polythene bags into the country and other contrabands, we thank residents who inform the Police on people who traffic and sell these products which destroy the environment,” said Chief Inspector of Police  (CIP) Alexis Rugigana,  the Police spokesperson for the Northern region.

He explained that the continued presence of plastics bags especially in the districts bordering neighboring countries is facilitated by smuggling.

Polythene bags cause land, air and water pollution. They are hazardous to the environment since they affect water permeability in the soil.

When discarded in landfills or in the environment, plastics can take up to many years to decompose, others never decompose at all.

In 2008, Rwanda banned manufacturing, importation, use and sale of non-biodegradable plastic products, earning international recognition in environment conservation.

Article 7 of the law relating to the prohibition of manufacturing, importation, use and sale of polythene bags in Rwanda, states that industries which manufacture polythene bags, commercial companies or any person found in possession of prohibited polythene bags without autorisation in their stores, manufacturing or using them, shall be punished by an imprisonment of six to twelve months and a fine of Rwf100, 000 to Rwf500, 000 or one of the two penalties.
 
The same article also states that “any unauthorized person, who sells polythene bags shall be punished by a fine ranging from Rwf10, 000 to Rwf300, 000.   
 
Any unauthorized person who uses polythene bags also faces a fine of Rwf5000 to Rwf100, 000.

During separate campaigns conducted across the country, Rwandans were urged to stand up against the use of plastic bags or buying goods packed in plastic bags.

They were advised to use khaki envelopes, which are environmental friendly, hygienic, and used as the best packaging alternative.