nema executive director tom okurut displays a polythene bag measuring 30 micron during a press briefing at nema house. photo by tony rujuta.by john odyek the national environment management authority nema has said the total ban on the importation, local manufacture, sale or use of polythene carrier bags excludes packaging materials used for food stuffs such as bread and milk products, exports, for medical and industrial use.other categories excluded are polythene packaging materials for research, science, sanitation, construction materials. nema has said they are encouraging the use of alternative packaging materials such as sisal, paper bags which they say has high demand and potential for big employment.dr tom okurut, executive director nema said they expect supermarkets and shops to charge people for paper bags that were biodegradable. he said sh200 charged for a paper bag was a small cost compared to the cost of kaveera damage to the environment. "we have so far collected 12 metric tons of kaveera. one ton was brought in by uchumi supermarket. we were enforcing the distribution in supermarkets but we are now moving into retail shops,"okurut explained that polythene bags were being given freely and that is why they had littered the environment. he said local industries that were making the banned kaveera should concentrate on those that were not banned.okurut who addressed journalists at the nema offices regarding the ban on kaveera said the law to ban the polythene carrier bags had been passed by parliament in 2009 and it was being implemented following a series of bottlenecks in its enforcement.local manufactures of kaveera have protested the ban saying it will lead to job cuts. but industry sources argue that the polythene bag industries were so highly automated and employed few people who were earning peanuts.a statement issued on 16th april by prime minister dr ruhakana rugunda on the cabinet decision on the implementation of the ban on polythene carrier bags said manufacturers and distributors of the bags including plastic bottles have been directed to set up polythene collection centers all over the country and intensify public sensitization on polythene waste management.sebaggala kigozi, executive director uma they were against a total ban but were supporting the campaign to sensitise the public on proper kaveera usenaim sabra, director pipeline design and foam industries said they would continue with the manufacture of the polythene carrier bags that are above 30 microns which they demand should not be banned following regional standards.uganda plastics manufacturers and recyclers association upmra chairman lugwana kaggwa said the 2009 law made a blanket total ban on kaveera. kaggwa said they had proposed that the ban should be placed on polythene bags of 30 microns and below.issa sekitto, spokesman kampala city traders association kacita said the penalty of littering should be stiffened to rid the environment of litter. 
