High Court temporarily stops the ban on non-woven carrier bags

Some of the newly approved bags Kenyans were supposed to use [Photo: Courtesy]

The High Court has temporarily suspended the ban of non-woven bags by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

The ban has been suspended after a petition was filed by the Importers and Small Traders Association.

The ruling comes barely 24 hours after Nema announced its decision to implement the ban on non-woven carrier bags.

Nema had vowed to arrest anyone found manufacturing, selling or importing no-woven bags.

"In a public notice, NEMA banned manufacture, importation, supply, distribution and use of non-woven polypropylene bags in Kenya markets effective March 31, 2019. The authority has begun implementing the ban from today. You risk arrest for carrying non-woven bags," Nema tweeted.

NEMA had previously set March 31st, as deadline for shoppers and retail outlets to come up with appropriate bags after the regulator announced a ban on non-woven bags. 

Non-woven bags vendors in Nairobi [Photo: Courtesy]

Plastic bags have been a scourge in many places across the globe.

According to environmental experts, plastic bags take more than 100 years to decompose, thereby posing adverse effects to the environment including piling up in landfills, blocking drainages, polluting rivers and destroying marine life.