Plastic collectors from different parts of the country on Thursday protested the 40 percent increment of tax imposed on imported polymer bags like polythene and sacks.

Last month, Parliament, adopted a proposal by President Yoweri Museveni to increase excise duty, on polymer bags and sacks from 270 Shillings to 4000 Shillings a kilogram. The Parliamentary Finance Committee had raised an objection to the proposal saying that the tax was too high.

The collectors say that since the tax was increased, recycling factories have refused to buy polythene bags because fresh plastic, polymer plastics, which they have to mix with the recycled plastics are now taxed highly and hence expensive.

The plastic scrap buyers collect and sell polythene commonly known as Kaveera to recycling companies that in the end manufacture products like garbage bags, plastic bins, tanks, and sandals.

Judith Ssekajja, also a plastics collector says she has been employing 30 people to collect the plastic and it is now close to a month since recycling factories declined to buy from her, and is stuck with over 35 tons of plastics.

The National Environment Management Authority-NEMA however noted, that a total ban could not be effected since the National Environment Act  (2019) gives an exception for plastic carrier bags or plastic products made of polythene and propy-lene of above thirty microns.