Kenya’s environmental regulator has issued a sharp warning over the return of plastic bags, eight years after the country imposed one of Africa’s toughest bans. “Any person who manufactures, imports, exports, uses, sells, offers for sale, or possesses plastic carrier bags or flat bags without a licence commits an offence,” the agency said in a public notice earlier this month. Dr Mamo B. Mamo, NEMA’s Director-GeneralDr Mamo B. Mamo, NEMA’s Director-General, stressed that only licensed dealers are permitted to handle plastic packaging under updated regulations introduced last year. NEMA has also appealed to the public to report any cases of illegal production or sale. Environmental groups warn that a resurgence in plastic bags could undermine years of progress.