Sentenced to 4 years in prison for using... plastic bags.

Kenya has just introduced what is considered the world's strictest penalty for any act of buying, importing, or using plastic bags. Specifically, anyone who violates the law will be fined between $19,000 and $38,000 and face a maximum prison sentence of four years.

After years of delays, the ban on plastic bags has finally come into effect in Kenya. Any act of buying, importing, transporting, or using plastic bags will face a maximum fine of $38,000 or four years imprisonment. This is considered the harshest penalty in the world, as plastic bags are widely believed to be a major cause of ocean pollution and the death of marine life.

Kenyans are estimated to use around 100 million plastic bags every year. Pictured: A landfill filled with plastic bags in Kenya.

The ban has come into effect in this African country. This also means that all plastic bags have been removed from supermarkets and shopping stores. According to the national environmental management agency, tourists arriving in Kenya are also required to leave their plastic bags at the airport. Besides Kenya, more than 40 other countries, including China, the Netherlands, France, and Italy, have implemented taxes on plastic bags, restricted their use, or banned them altogether.

In Rwanda, a small lakeside nation in central East Africa, using plastic bags is illegal. The UK also introduced a 5 pence fee in stores in 2015, leading to an 80% reduction in plastic bag use. The US currently has no restrictions on plastic bag use. However, states like California and Hawaii have banned non-biodegradable bags.

According to United Nations figures, consumers in Kenya are estimated to use around 100 million plastic bags per year. The government in the country gave citizens six months to change their plastic bag habits, a deadline that expired on August 27th. Previously, Kenya had attempted to ban plastic bags in 2007 and 2011, but without success.

Currently, supermarkets in Kenya use biodegradable bags.

New regulations impose fines of up to $19,000 to $38,000 or four years imprisonment on individuals who manufacture or import plastic bags. According to the National Environment Agency, plastic bags used in industrial packaging are exempt from tax. Instead of the previously used plastic bags, the Kenyan government encourages people to use reusable bags, including paper bags, bags made from fabric, or fiber.

Tourists are not allowed to use plastic bags when visiting Kenya.

According to research from the United Nations Environment Project, approximately 8 million tons of plastic waste from plastic bags are currently dumped into the ocean worldwide. At the current rate, by 2050, it will be easier to "catch" more plastic bags than seafood, seriously impacting wildlife and tourism. In Kenya, plastic bags have even been found in the stomachs of cows before slaughter.

According to Dantri