Ugandans told to use banana leaves not plastic bags

Uganda became the latest state to ban the use of plastic bags on Sunday and the Government is urging the public to use the traditional disposable carrier instead, a folded banana leaf.

Under the ban, businesses will be prosecuted for manufacturing, importing or using plastic bags and while the law also bars individuals from using the bags it is thought it will be unlikely that action would be taken against them.

A number of other countries in both the developing and industrialised world have already introduced similar bans to reduce waste and littering.

Sam Bond