Morocco seizes 420 tons of banned plastic bags in 10 months

Since then “more than 421 tons of plastic bags, 70 manufacturing machines, and 16 vehicles” were seized, and 55 people were arrested, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo: velkr0/ Flickr)

RABAT–Moroccan authorities have seized more than 420 tons of plastic bags since the entry into force of a law banning their use 10 months ago, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

On July 1 last year, Morocco started enforcing a ban on plastic bags nationwide after its parliament passed a landmark bill banning the production, import, sale and distribution of plastic bags across the North African kingdom.

Since then “more than 421 tons of plastic bags, 70 manufacturing machines, and 16 vehicles” were seized, and 55 people were arrested, the ministry said in a statement.

As for the first three months of 2017, the ministry said that some 36 tons of plastic bags and 51 machines were seized in operations aimed at dismantling their illegal production.

Morocco encouraged the production of environmentally-friendly bags, and has set up a 21.8 million U.S. dollars fund to help companies affected by the law.

This move is part of a larger environmentally conscious effort across the country to go green.

Morocco ranks alongside Costa Rica, Bhutan and Ethiopia as one of the world’s greenest countries, a fact partially due to its ambitious goals to crackdown on carbon emissions.