(Business in Cameroon) - On September 1, 2020, customs agents seized 800 kg of non-biodegradable plastic bags in Maroua, in the framework of the operation Halcomi aimed at stopping illicit transborder trades, according to a newsletter published by the Directorate General of Customs.

The plastic bags, smuggled from Nigeria, were hidden inside a truck transporting other goods, the newsletter informs.

Let’s note that since April 1, 2014, the production, importation, or sales of non-biodegradable plastic bags was officially prohibited in Cameroon. However, they are still sold in markets and stores countrywide. Yet, the ban issued by the government is aimed at protecting the environment from the harmful effects of the bags. Indeed, according to figures from the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection, plastic waste represents about 10% of the six million tons of refuse dumped by residents every day on Cameroonian soil.

BRM