Burundi’s President, Pierre Nkurunziza, has issued a decree banning the use of plastic bags in the central African country within the next 18 months.
He said the the manufacture, import, storage, sale and use of all plastic bags and other plastic packaging is prohibited.
A grace period of 18 months is granted, before the entry into force of the decree, to allow for the disposal of current stocks and orders already placed.
The decree includes some exemptions that may be authorised for biodegradable plastic bags, and plastic materials used in medical services, and in industrial and pharmaceutical packaging.
When the law comes into force Burundi will join a growing list of African countries that have introduced total plastic bans to fight pollution, including Morocco, Rwanda and Kenya.
