The Malawi Environmental Protection Authority MEPA has started enforcing a thin plastics ban.

Officials from the Authority have inspected distributors and producers of plastics in Mzuzu City to check if they are complying with the ban on thin plastics under the Environmental Management (Plastics) Regulation of 2015.

Mepa’s Acting Director-General, Taonga Mbale-Luka, said the exercise has been rolled out after the Malawi High Court Commercial Division dismissed an injunction obtained by plastic producers against the enforcement of the thin plastics ban last month.

She said for Malawi to get rid of thin plastics it is going to be a long process that will need concerted efforts from all concerned stakeholders in the protection of the environment.

Since the enforcement began, some producers have already been served with fines for non-compliance while during the Mzuzu exercise, shops allowing vendors to sell thin plastics on their premises have been given warning notices for potential penalties when found to be non-compliant in the future.

The Environmental Management (Plastics) Regulation of 2015 was established for the protection and management of the environment, conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources.