NEMA Bans Plastic Bags, Bin Liners Used For Garbage Collection

• National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on Monday, April 22, released a statement directing all waste providers to stop using plastic bags in the next 90 days
• NEMA further stated it has banned the manufacturing and importation of plastic bags for commercial and household purposes
• Providers of these services have been directed to provide their clients with biodegradable liners, bags, and containers for use

National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has banned plastic bags and bin liners for garbage collection.

In a statement released on Monday, April 22, the authority further banned manufacturing and importation of plastic bags has also been banned.

The environmental body made the announcement with reference to the gazette notice by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

"The government of Kenya through the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in 2017 vide gazette notice numbers 2334 and 2356 banned the manufacture, importation, and use of plastic carrier bags and flat bags used for commercial and household packaging. In its scope, This includes garbage bags and bin liners," NEMA stated.

What are the requirements of the Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022?

According to the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022, all public and private sectors should ensure the separation of organic and non-organic wastes, all wastes to be marked and labelled correctly, and all waste providers to handle and transport the separated waste.

"All public and private sectors entities segregate non-hazardous waste into organic and non-organic fractions, the segregated waste be placed in properly labelled, coloured receptacle bins, containers and bags. Thirdly, all waste providers to, collect, handle and transport the segregated waste," further read the statement.

The authority gave a 90-day notice to suppliers of these bags and liners to switch and adopt the use of bio-degradable bags

What are NEMA new directives to waste providers?

In the statement, NEMA has directed all waste providers to ensure they stop using plastic bags and liners for garbage collection effectively immediately.

"All organic waste generated by households, shall strictly be segregated and placed in 100% biodegradable bins, liners and bags, organic waste shall be segregated and transported individually for further processing, and all county government and private waste providers licensed by NEMA to provide their clients with 100 biodegradable bin and liners," NEMA stated.

The ban on plastic bags

In March 2017, the government banned the use of polythene bags under former president Uhuru Kenyatta

In 2021, NEMA kicked off a crackdown on plastic bags on Wednesday, February 10, a day after an expose showed that single-use plastic bags had made a big comeback in city markets.