The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) has received over 70,000 packs of banned polythene bags that were confiscated as they were being smuggled from Uganda through the border district of Burera.

The banned plastic bags, weighing 10.5 tonnes, were seized by the Rwanda National Police in different border patrol operations, before handing them over to the customs authorities.

"The smuggling of banned plastic carry bags is still a problem in Rwanda," Jean-Marie Vianney Tuyisenge, REMA's officer in charge of environmental inspection, said on Thursday.

"Locally, production and trade of single-use plastics is illegal, but some people to source them from other countries"

The use and production of plastic bags have been banned since 2008 in Rwanda. A 2019 law prohibits the trade and production of the plastic bags and other single use plastics. 

Penalties include seizure of the plastic bags and a fine of Rwf10 million for the person producing them. 

The fine ranges between Rwf300,000 and Rwf700,000 for people selling the banned plastic bags, while smugglers face a fine of ten times the value of the plastic bags.

Tuyisenge said people should not only avoid the penalties determined by the law on single-use plastics but also be aware of the "harmful impacts of the single-use plastics to the environment."

He commended the Rwanda Revenue Authority's customs authorities and the National Police for the enforcement of the environment law.

According to REMA, the seized plastic carry bags will be handed over to industries, which recycled them into non-single-use materials.