The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has taken a decisive stance by prohibiting the use of plastic bags for garbage collection and disposal.
In a notice dated April 8, NEMA stated that Kenyans have 90 days to discontinue the use of plastic bags for waste management.
Furthermore, the notice explicitly states, “The use of conventional plastic bags/bin liners for collection of organic waste shall thus cease forthwith.”
NEMA has mandated the use of biodegradable garbage bags for all garbage disposal purposes, in line with Section 12 of the Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2022.
According to NEMA, “All organic waste generated by households, private sector and public sector institutions, private and public functions and events; shall strictly be segregated and placed in 100% biodegradable garbage bags/bin liners only.”
The Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2022 requires separating non-hazardous waste into organic and non-organic types, using labeled containers, and ensuring waste service providers handle it properly.
This decision to enforce the ban comes seven years after the Kenyan government initially imposed restrictions on the manufacture, importation, and use of plastic carrier bags for commercial and household packaging in 2017.
By Vivian K.