A ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags and polystyrene takeaway boxes is to come into force in Vanuatu at the end of this month.
The Council of Ministers agreed to stop single-use bags being imported and manufactured in the country after a study highlighted a large amount of plastic rubbish on the main island of Efate.
The Head of Maritime and Ocean Affairs in Vanuatu Toney Tevi told Sela Jane Hopgood about how the National Ocean's Policy triggered the ban.
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Mayors from Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin are pushing for a levy on single use plastic bags. Photo: 123RF