Nairobi — In the Budget, Finance minister Mr Amos Kimunya banned polythene bags but forgot to give consumers an alternative.

He imposed a hefty 120 per cent excise duty on plastic polythene bags and banned the flimsy ones. The drastic move seems to have won accolades from many quarters, as plastic bag pollution has been a contentious issue for many years. The bags, many of which are so thin that they are simply thrown away after one trip from the shops, are a familiar eyesore in urban and rural areas.

The radical proposal could not have come at a better time when there is growing concern on the environmental problems plastic paper bags cause. The bags have become victims of their own success. They are so cheap to manufacture that retailers often absorb the price into the price of merchandise they sell, making the bag appear free to consumers and they in turn attach no value to it.

But while plastic waste is a worldwide concern, it is evident that the demand for products has increased in the recent past. Perhaps what has boosted their popularity is because they are considered a better alternative than other packaging materials.

Those who have supported the ban on plastic bags want it replaced with paper. But whether paper is the best alternative and whether it is environmentally friendlier and as popular remains a topic for debate. Critics of the bag say it cannot carry heavy loads, it is not waterproof and cannot carry frozen food such as ice cream or liquids. They add that the price of paper bags is high and they cannot be used repeatedly.

But the plastic is still the better bag. What should have been done, perhaps, was to introduce an environmentally friendly polythene bag that should disintegrate and leave no visible trace. Among the options is the use of oxo-biodegradable bags instead of the non-degradable plastic bags. The ban on polythene will not entirely solve environmental problems.

Rather, the need to encourage recycling, correct disposal and the need to encourage degradable plastics are paramount. Though plastic bags have been around for long, it is absurd that not much has been done in consumer education and anti-littering campaigns.

There is also the main concern that recycling is low. As it is now, urban areas are overcrowded and suffering from all manner of pollution and environmental hazards.

In Nairobi, for example, only about 25 per cent of the 1,500 tonnes of solid waste generated daily are currently collected.

But if all these measures could not add up and we still had to do away with plastic, then Kimunya ought to have provided an alternative that would popularise eco-friendly packaging.

Some of the options include sisal, cloth, banana, fibre and jute bags. The Finance minister did not provide an alternative and we should brace ourselves for a rise in the cost of commodities such as sugar, bread and milk that use the packaging material.

I expected the minister to say something to the effect: "Mr Speaker sir, to provide an alternative to plastic bags that I have now imposed a ban on, I propose to offer the following incentives to encourage the production and use of locally made cotton and sisal fibre to replace plastic bags." Sadly, he did not.

- The writer is a researcher and works for the Tourism Promotion Services