I don't know what recycling programs or level of environmental education exist in Kenya so my thoughts might be irrelevant, but I think that if the people can't be counted on to responsibly...
I don't know what recycling programs or level of environmental education exist in Kenya so my thoughts might be irrelevant, but I think that if the people can't be counted on to responsibly discard of the waste then imposing somewhat serious consequences is certainly one way to dramatically shift the status-quo. However, jail time seems a bit harsh. Difficult to form an opinion about from the other side of the planet, though. I don't know how serious the problem actually is.
This echos pretty much exactly how I feel. On the one hand, I feel we need something drastic like this in order to get a serious reduction in our single-use plastics. Aiming laws at vendors,...
This echos pretty much exactly how I feel. On the one hand, I feel we need something drastic like this in order to get a serious reduction in our single-use plastics. Aiming laws at vendors, manufacturers and such definitely seem like the way to go. After all, we've been banning plastic grocery bags in various places around the world for over a decade, and the change is sadly too slow.
Of course, on the other hand, I don't want to see the poor guy selling fruit to end up in jail.
EPA says 1 trillion plastic bags a year are used, while less than 5% of plastic is recycled. To me, those are insane numbers. I'm not entirely sure what "used" means in that figure, but regardless...
EPA says 1 trillion plastic bags a year are used, while less than 5% of plastic is recycled. To me, those are insane numbers. I'm not entirely sure what "used" means in that figure, but regardless there is a huge problem here. It's a bit much but I can't say I disagree too much with this penalty. It's important to note that no actual prison time was served and the case was pardoned since it was a first offense; it's clear they are taking this very seriously. I don't know if arrests are the way to go but I would like to see more intensives in the US for re-using bags, and financial penalties for not. I know a lot of grocery stores have started charging a few cents for using non-reuse bags, but I would like to see it get to the point where it's an inconvenience for people to use plastic bags.
I don't know what recycling programs or level of environmental education exist in Kenya so my thoughts might be irrelevant, but I think that if the people can't be counted on to responsibly discard of the waste then imposing somewhat serious consequences is certainly one way to dramatically shift the status-quo. However, jail time seems a bit harsh. Difficult to form an opinion about from the other side of the planet, though. I don't know how serious the problem actually is.
This echos pretty much exactly how I feel. On the one hand, I feel we need something drastic like this in order to get a serious reduction in our single-use plastics. Aiming laws at vendors, manufacturers and such definitely seem like the way to go. After all, we've been banning plastic grocery bags in various places around the world for over a decade, and the change is sadly too slow.
Of course, on the other hand, I don't want to see the poor guy selling fruit to end up in jail.
EPA says 1 trillion plastic bags a year are used, while less than 5% of plastic is recycled. To me, those are insane numbers. I'm not entirely sure what "used" means in that figure, but regardless there is a huge problem here. It's a bit much but I can't say I disagree too much with this penalty. It's important to note that no actual prison time was served and the case was pardoned since it was a first offense; it's clear they are taking this very seriously. I don't know if arrests are the way to go but I would like to see more intensives in the US for re-using bags, and financial penalties for not. I know a lot of grocery stores have started charging a few cents for using non-reuse bags, but I would like to see it get to the point where it's an inconvenience for people to use plastic bags.