Kenya has passed the world's toughest law against plastic bags in a sharp crackdown on pollution. Anyone now producing, selling or even using the non-degradable bags faces four years in jail or a $40,000 (£31,000) fine.

Supermarket giant Tesco has announced that it will no longer offer single-use plastic bags in its stores. The company had already begun charging 5p for the bags, in line with legislation introduced in 2015, and this has cut the number of plastic bags the store gives out by 1.5 billion.

South Africans will soon be able to dispose of their plastic bags along with the rest of their waste without worrying about negative effects on the environment.

The sixth Recycled Plastic Product of the Year Awards is now open for entries. Hosted by the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO), the awards aims to acknowledge the wide variety of products that are locally manufactured using recycled materials.

Entries are now open for the 6th Recycled Plastic Product of the Year Awards, organised by the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) and Plastics SA.

According to the CSIR, food waste cost the South African economy more than R61 billion annually - accounting for an astounding 2.1% of the country's GDP - with a large portion of this cost going toward the disposal of the waste, most of which ends up in landfills across the country.

Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa is pushing the paper and packaging, electrical and electronic equipment and lighting industries to submit waste management plans to improve the environment. This comes as they face a new packaging tax and a carbon tax.

PETCO, the organisation responsible for fulfilling the South African polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic industry’s role of extended producer responsibility, recently announced an increase in its annual PET recycling rate from 52% of post-consumer bottles in 2015 to 55% in 2016.

New industry body to promote metal packaging, increase the market share and protect the interest of its members through stakeholder involvement