Kenya will now punish with up to four years in jail anyone making, selling or importing plastic bags, putting in place one of the world’s toughest bans on the ubiquitous item that is blamed for clogging oceans and killing marine life.

Apart from the jail sentence, violators could be fined up to $30,000 as well.

“It is a toxin that we must get rid of,” Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet secretary for the environment, told reporters. “It’s affecting our water. It’s affecting our livestock and, even worse, we are ingesting this as human beings.” Despite the hefty fines, the government does not plan on going out of it’s way to arrest Kenyans, she said, adding, “I know they will comply.”

This also means that visitors entering Kenya will be required to leave their duty-free shopping bags at the airport.

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