Plastic bags banned in Mauritania
Mauritania has banned the manufacturing and use of plastic bags, in order to protect its animals and fish.
The country has joined several other African counties in the ban, including Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, because they present an environmental hazard, in particular, to animals that eat them.
Mohamed Yahya, an environmental ministry official, said more than 70 per cent of cattle and sheep who die in the capital of Nouakchott are killed by eating plastic bags.
Environment Minister Amedi Camara said that nearly all plastic waste is not collected, but found in the natural environment and, according to official statistics, plastic bags form a quarter of all waste produced in Nouakchott.
However, under the new law, anyone that is now found manufacturing, using or importing plastic bags may be fined or sentenced for up to a year in prison.
Mauritania's head of the Orgnization of Consumer Protection, Moctar Ould Tauf, said he welcomed the ban, and that it was of "particular importance".
Meanwhile, the government, local non-governmental organisations and the United Nations Programme for Development (UNDP) continue to promote the use of biodegradable bags.
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