Many cities around the globe are opting to implement plastic bag bans in an effort to curb the growing impact of them on the environment.
The small African nation of Rwanda has taken this a step further by imposing a ban throughout the entire country. At airport border controls, for example, people are searched and plastic bags removed.
Concerns about the pollution they cause and the country's inability to mange plastic waste has led to a complete ban that has enabled growth of a successful market of environmental friendly bags as well as creative ways of recycling remaining plastic bags.
Unlike landlocked Rwanda our country is surrounded by the ocean and we see the impact of discarded plastic bags on marine life, adding a further layer of relevance to the issue.
Should we as a country be thinking more seriously about our use of plastic bags or are there sufficient justifications for keeping them in use?
Read more here:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/15/rwanda-banned-plastic-bags-so-can-we science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/paper-plastic1.htm