From Wednesday 27th June 2018, Benin has banned the manufacture, import, sale and use of plastic bags – only biodegradable or reusable bags are now allowed.

Benin has now become the 11th country in Africa to ban plastic bags after a transitional period of six month. The other countries are Kenya, Botswana, Cameroon, Eritrea, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenya attempted a ban in 2007. Following three attempts and a decade later, it finally passed in August 2017. However, in April 2017 the government in Guinea-Bissau failed to implement the law passed the previous year banning plastic bags.

The key question in Benin is how effectively the government will enforce the ban. We know that large supermarkets in Cotonou have already made the transition to biodegradable bags but the risk is that a sizable black market in plastic bags continues.