Weak policies harming circular economy path in Africa

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is reminding retail stores, restaurants, and shoppers that the statewide ban on single-use plastic carry-out bags will go into effect July 1. A ban on single-use plastic carry-out bags, which was passed by the Maine Legislature in 2019, was scheduled to go into effect on April 22, 2020. However, the ban’s enforcement was delayed twice, originally due to concerns regarding potential transmission of the COVID-19 virus, and again in December of 2020 due to concerns regarding a disruption in packing supplies and logistical effects caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The DEP encouraged businesses that provide single-use plastic carry-out bags to take advantage of the additional time provided by enforcement delays to procure alternatives and deplete current stocks of these products.