We would like to notify our partners and those who have booked to travel to Tanzania that the country has announced that it will ban single-use polythene bags from June in the war against plastic pollution.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told parliament in Dodoma this week that polythene bags will no longer be used for commercial purposes or household packaging, and warned producers and suppliers to dispose of their stocks. “It is possible that July 1 will mark the end of the use of plastics in the country,” he said. The Office of the Vice President will ensure the enforcement of the ban through regulations to be introduced under the environment law. Deputy Minister in the Vice President’s Office Mussa Sima said the regulations have been prepared and are only awaiting publication in the official gazette.

In East Africa, Rwanda led the way in enforcing a ban on plastics. In 2017, Kenya passed a law imposing hefty fines on offenders, and South Sudan recently followed suit. Burundi adopted a ban in 2018.

In the last couple of years Elewana Collection have made great strides in reducing single use plastic. Elewana is proud to have taken such a stand and joined the many organisations around the world to eliminate its plastic waste. In addition to complying with banning single-use polythene bags in Kenya, we introduced the Ban the Bottle initiative, eliminating our use of plastic water bottles in the properties and providing guests with aluminium branded water bottles. Then at the beginning of 2018, we were the first property group in East Africa to eliminate the use of plastic straws across all our properties. We offer biodegradable paper straws and encourage guests to go to War with the Straw.