Chile to ban plastic bags in coastal regions

26 October 2017 - 00H02

SANTIAGO (AFP) -
Chile's President Michelle Bachelet signed a bill Wednesday that seeks to ban plastic bags in more than 100 coastal areas in a bid to halt the accumulation of ocean plastic.

Bachelet said the move was aimed at "taking care of our marine ecosystems."

"Our fish are dying from plastics ingestion or strangulation, it's a task in which everyone must collaborate," she said in a speech in the surfing resort of Pichilemu, 120 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of the capital Santiago.

In addition to banning the use of plastic bags in 102 coastal villages and towns, the bill will also allow non-coastal areas to join in the project to restrict or eliminate their use.

More:
http://www.france24.com/en/20171026-chile-ban-plastic-bags-coastal-regions