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From 6 July 2006, a graphic version of the current edition is available at the Daily News Online web site.

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Wildlife, environment and tourism minister Mr Kitso Mokaila said in an interview that the new law aims to protect the environment.

Plastic waste is the most visible and a major concern because it has environmental implications and there is need for us to manage the problem, he said.

Negotiations started some years ago to phase out the thin vest-type plastic, and Mr Mokaila said this was due to the fact that the issue was taken from his ministry as it was seen to be a manufacturing trade issue.

The ministry of trade and industry had to find out the proper standard of the type of plastic to be used as we ban the thin ones from the Botswana Bureau of standard. We also had to give manufacturers a grace period to adjust to the new standard, he said.

Mr Mokaila said there is no set price as to how much the plastic bags will be sold for, adding that, that will depend on the retailer.

Having lobbied for the law for the past eight years, Somarelang Tikologo public relations officer Tlamelo Selaledi said passing of the law was a welcome endeavour, seeing as plastic bags are not environment friendly.

Thats a stepping stone especially when it comes to environmental issues, because the site of scattered plastic bags gives our country a bad image, she said.

Consultation between government and stakeholders including business organisations and environmental groups started six years ago, and in 2003 a paper containing recommendations was handed to the Sectoral High Level Consultative Council of the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

One of the recommendations was that government should ban the production, importation and use of thin plastic bags with a thickness of 10-20 micro metres, and they should be replaced with thicker and bigger carrier bags of 60mm minimum thickness that could be re-used.

It also states that government should make it mandatory for manufacturers of thicker plastic bags to use locally produced materials that can be re-cycled and ensure that they have a recycling programme in place.

The government should encourage the use of re-useable cloth bags and baskets and re-cycleable paper bags.

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