Private sector lobby warns against re-introduction of plastics in market
Lewis Njoka @LewisNjoka
Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) says it will fight to safeguard the gains the country has made in reducing plastic waste and environmental pollution in the country.
The assertion comes amid fears that the country could be forced to reverse a ban on plastics instituted in 2017 after American fossil fuel companies pledged to set shop in Kenya as part of the bilateral trade agreements between the two countries.
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“We have laws and regulations that we can’t just dispute. The country, through the Ministry of Environment, has made major strides to drive Circular Economy in Kenya,” Director of Sustainable Inclusive Business, Karin Boomsma said.
We will protect what we have worked for over the years,” “Kenya doesn’t have the capacity to deal with these end of life plastics.
The real impact of the circular economy doesn’t lie in trying to recycle end of life plastics.
It lies in redesigning the quality of the product that will then define the quality of output that can be reintroduced back into the value chain,” he added.
Global agreement
In 2019, Kenya signed a global agreement to stop importing plastic waste, a pact that will be reversed if the country is made to continue importing foreign plastic waste that would add to inorganic garbage, said Boomsma.
The debate about plastic waste re-introduction comes at a time when the country is still struggling with implications of Covid-19 pandemic, including accelerated consumption of single-use products.
Unilever has said it will spend $1 billion (Sh108 billion) to eliminate fossil fuels in cleaning products by 2030.
