Gov't bans use of plastic garbage bags

The government has banned the use of plastic garbage bags and garbage bin liners.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on Monday said all organic waste from households, institutions and events must be segregated and placed in fully- biodegradable garbage bags or bin liners only.

NEMA said the waste shall be collected separately from other waste types and transported to material recovery facilities for further processing.

“The use of conventional plastic bags/ bin liners for the collection of organic waste shall thus cease forthwith,” said the environmental authority in a public notice.

County governments and private waste service providers have been tasked with providing their clients with biodegradable garbage bags and bin liners.

NEMA said the directive should be implemented within 90 days from the April 8 date of the notice.

Kenya in 2017 banned the manufacture, importation and use of polythene plastic bags but while Kenyans have largely switched to eco-friendlier alternatives, the use of plastic bags for waste collection remains.

NEMA on Monday reiterated that the ban on plastic carrier bags and flat bags included garbage bags and bin liners.

The ban came with penalties of up to a four-year jail term or a Ksh.4 million fine for offenders.

The Sustainable Waste Management Act (2022) requires all public and private sector entities to segregate non-hazardous waste into organic and non-organic fractions and then place it in properly labelled and colour-coded receptacles, bins, containers and bags for waste service providers to collect, handle and transport it.