Main content

The Country That Can Jail You For Using Plastic Bags

In Kenya you can be jailed for four years for carrying a single-use plastic bag. But is the ban working?

Just over a year ago, Kenya introduced the world’s most draconian rules on single-use plastic bags. People can be fined up to $40,000 or even thrown in jail for producing, selling or using them.

World Hacks travels to Nairobi to find out what impact the ban has had, and asks why Kenya has taken such a seemingly progressive stance on plastic. We also speak to experts in the UK to find out why many governments prefer to ‘nudge’ their citizens into cutting back on plastic bags, instead of banning them.

Presenter: Amelia Martyn-Hemphill

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Release date:

Available now

23 minutes

People fixing the world on YouTube

Watch stories of people changing their world on the World Service English YouTube channel

Podcast