MPCC Writes Open Letter To Government On Ban Of Thin Plastics.

Malawi Parliamentary Conservation Caucus MPCC has written an open letter to government of Malawi on the ban of thin plastics.

In a joint statement co-chair of MPCC Alex Major says Supreme Court will on 16th April decide whether to implement the ban on production and use of thin plastics.

Major believes that the ban would be a critical first step in the fight against plastic pollution and a chance to show that Malawi is serious about protecting its people and environment.

He says estimates suggest that 75, 000 tonnes of plastic is produced in Malawi every year and 80 percent of it is single use plastic that cannot be recycled.

Major further says social, environmental and economic costs of plastic pollution are vast, resulting in damage to soil, water and food production, increased risk of floods, costs to human health and loses in tourism revenue.

He adds that results of public opinion from a recent survey show that 95 percent of people believe that plastic ban is a serious issue in Malawi and 94 percent of people support the ban.

The ban was first introduced by government in 2015 before being challenged by the plastic industry.