An Ethiopian court has sentenced an individual to one year in prison for transporting more than 50 kilograms of banned plastic bags and breaching the recently enforced law, prohibiting single-use plastic bags.
The defendant was arrested in Sandafa town of Oromia regional state following a roadside inspection at a checkpoint in Kura Jida district, where authorities discovered 50.3 kilograms of prohibited plastic carrier bags in his vehicle.
Investigators detained the suspect and submitted physical evidence alongside witness statements to prosecutors, who charged him under the country’s solid waste management legislation, which prohibits the production, importation, distribution and use of single-use plastic bags.
The court found the defendant guilty after reviewing submissions from both prosecution and defense, and handed down a custodial sentence in addition to the 50,000 Ethiopian birr financial penalties.
The case unfolds against a backdrop of stricter enforcement of Ethiopia’s nationwide plastic bag ban, introduced under the Solid Waste Management and Disposal Proclamation after a one year transitional grace period for businesses and consumers.
Authorities began full enforcement in early 2026, although plastic bags continue to surface in circulation, particularly beyond major urban centers where compliance and monitoring remain uneven.
Under the regulation, individuals found using or possessing banned plastic bags can face fines typically ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 birr. Businesses involved in production, import or distribution face much higher penalties and possible imprisonment in severe cases,
Authorities have linked the policy to growing concerns over plastic waste accumulation, including blocked drainage systems in urban areas, soil and water contamination, and long decomposition periods that can extend for decades.
MG/as/APA