Malawi Environment Protection Authority (Mepa) has expressed concern with the continued illegal importation of thin plastics from neighbouring countries amid a court ban.
The Nation spot-checks in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu showed that thin plastics are still selling in some markets.
In a written response, Mepa environment information education manager Aubren Chirwa said the smuggling is restoring supply of thin plastics in the country.
He said: “We have noted that the scarcity of thin plastics because of the ban has prompted other vendors to smuggle plastics from neighbouring countries.
“This smuggling is a big threat to the efforts that the authority [Mepa] and the country has taken in curbing the use of thin plastics.”
To enforce compliance with the court ban, Mepa has been closing down manufacturers of thin plastics and confiscating equipment used to produce thin plastics under 60 microns.
The crackdown on thin plastics led to some local businesses such as food sellers to consider packaging alternatives.
In other cases, sellers were requesting customers to bring their own containers.
However, Mepa fears that the smuggling of thin plastics might force vendors to start using thin plastics for packaging.
While commending those who have adopted alternatives, Chirwa expressed Mepa’s concern on the possibility of local businesses turning back to the illegal plastic bags as their prices are decreasing.
In an interview, a resident of Ndirande Township, Twaha Amidu, said he stopped buying thin plastics as soon as the ban was effected.
“I use khakhi bags to package my items from the market,” he said.
A fish vendor Joseph Ngoleka said they wrap fish in newspapers as an alternative to thin plastic bags.
In January this year, High Court of Malawi Judge Howard Pemba discharged an injunction by 11 thin plastics manufacturers that was stopping the government from enforcing the ban to use them.
