A rapid sampling of the views of some vendors shows that there is a common confusion as to which plastic bag is biodegradable or non-biodegradable. The ban on the production, distribution and use of light-weight plastic bags of 60 microns and below since April 24th, 2014, is the core of the confusion.
At first, government focused only on the ban of non-biodegradable plastics of less than 61 microns, afterward, another release banned the production of all light-weight plastics (whether biodegradable or not) of less than or equal to 60 microns.
Since the production of the non-degradable heavy-weight plastic shopping bags, most Cameroonians are mistaking it for biodegradable ones. Commonly called “bio” by traders in most markets, the heavy-weight plastic bags are made from the same raw material like the banned types earlier warned to be destructive to health and environment.
Heavy-weight plastics, according to the Littoral Regional Delegate of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, Sidi Bare, are not biodegradable but advantageous since they can be reused and recycled.
However, few imported biodegradable plastic bags are mostly used in pharmacies and other spacious business ventures. Contrary to the cheap light-weight plastic bags that litter the environment, heavy-weight plastic bags are expensive and even when disposed of, are easily collected for recycling.
Since they are being reused even for a period of over a month, demand has declined to 90 per cent. Though the light-weight plastic bags still circulate clandestinely, the Regional Delegate said the over 20 plastic production companies in the Littoral Region have adapted their machines to producing just the heavy-weight plastics, which implies the banned plastics from neighbouring Nigeria enters the country clandestinely.
The approximately 12 tonnes of light-weight plastics seized from recalcitrant traders by the delegation will be given out for recycling when the time comes.
