Environmentalists in Samoa are welcoming the government's decision to introduce a ban on plastic bags.
The government made the announcement at the opening of Environment Week saying that Samoa must protect the environment for future generations.
It also announced that plastic containers will be banned from April 2006 and disposable nappies from 2007.
Whilst the announcement has created confusion amongst some retailers, environmentalists like Fiu Mataese of the Siosiomaga Society says the ban is excellent news.
"People are not being responsible enough to get rid of them in terms of rubbish bins and things like that. They're all littering not only the beaches, but also they become a hazard to our fishing and marine resources."
