EDITORIAL: Ensure quality bags

The nationwide ban on plastic bags became enforceable last Saturday, June 1, 2019 with consumers expected to shift to using biodegradable bags.

However, there are complaints regarding the availability and quality of alternative bags, which some users say they are of substandard quality.

Also, some traders are already exploiting the shortage of alternative bags, thus making a killing at the market by hiking prices of the alternatives.

Indeed, banning the environment-unfriendly plastic bags is a step forward.

But, some of the alternative bags in the market are of low quality, leading to losses by traders and customers alike.

The Union Affairs and Environment minister, Mr January Makamba, assured traders in alternative bags that enough of the bags would be readily available soon enough.

This is all well and good.

But, surely the authorities should have ensured adequate supplies before enforcing the ban – if only to ensure smooth transition from plastics to the alternatives?

Now that traders are hiking the prices of alternative bags, it is imperative that the government sets indicative prices to save users from exploitation by unscrupulous traders.

Tanzania became the 34th African nation to ban importation, production, sale and use of plastic carrier bags.