Malawi Environment Protection Authority (Mepa) has stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders to enforce the ban on thin plastics below 60 microns.
Addressing delegates in Lilongwe during an orientation workshop on environmental and natural resource management on Wednesday, Mepa environment information and education manager Aubren Chirwa said while thin plastics may appear cheaper, they carry greater long-term costs through soil degradation block drainage and water pollution.
“We cannot win this fight through inspections alone. We need collaboration across the board; from producers, importers, distributors, vendors and consumers to stop thin plastics from re-entering the market,” he said.
Chirwa said thin plastics have resurfaced on the market despite the 2015 ban largely due to high demand and illegal importation.
“When the ban came into effect, thin plastics disappeared. But they resurfaced because demand remained high and some people started importing them,” he said.
On enforcement of the ban, Chirwa said Mepa has inspected 40 companies, with five found in violation and fined under the Environmental Management Regulations of 2015 and the Environmental Management Act of 2017.
Lilongwe City Council chief environment officer Godfrey Kalenga described the workshop as timely, saying it will strengthen the council’s capacity to enforce the ban.
He said the council will collaborate with sectors such as health, environment, parks and recreation and city police to enforce the law.
“We feel motivated to act on the ban with renewed commitment. The ban is beneficial to our environment, yet we continue to see them being sold in local markets. This meeting has been crucial because it has equipped us to work together with Mepa,” said Kalenga.
The engagement was part of Mepa’s wider efforts to strengthen compliance and prevent thin plastics from re-entering Malawi’s markets.
