Demonstrations in Abidjan have heated up after the government issued a ban on plastic bags in an attempt to reduce environmental pollution according to the BBC.
Demonstrations in Abidjan have heated up after the government issued a ban on plastic bags in an attempt to reduce environmental pollution according to the BBC.
Media sources in the country are reporting several arrests of protesters by the police after demonstrators converged outside the prime minister’s office today.
Ivory Coast is only one of several countries in the region with plans to eliminate plastic bags because lack of adequate waste disposal and recycling facilities results in environmental problems as the bags clog up open drain systems and litter the environment.
A union leader who helped organize Tuesday’s demonstration claimed that the decision to ban small plastic bags was premature and did not provide a viable alternative to traders.
Head of the water sellers’ union, Gervais Ekoun, stated "We don't want to die of hunger."
Thousands of water sellers who support themselves by selling small bags of purified water are likely to lose their livelihoods with this ban, and in an economy where many people depend on bagged water as a safe and affordable source of drinking water.