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A Glimpse into the Severest Plastic Ban in the World |
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by BONFACE OBUBA | 09-09-2018 18:03
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A Glimpse into the Severest Plastic Ban in the World
What lead to the ban That plastic has become a health and environmental scourge is manifest. Plastic harms 600 marine species every year. It also causes clogging of drains leading to aggravation of floods. Plastic takes 1000 years to decompose leading to degradation of soil quality. Burning of plastic releases toxins into the air. Foam plastic food containers contain benzene and styrene which are known to cause cancer and other health complications. It is because of this that on 28th August 2017, Kenya banned the use of plastic carrier bags and plastic flat bags. However, exempted from this ban are plastic bags used for primary industrial packaging. The government had provided a six month grace period to manufacturers and traders dealing in bags used for commercial and household packaging to prepare for this drastic change. The penalty for breaching this ban is a $40,000 fine or a four-year jail term. This makes the ban on plastic bags in Kenya the severest in the world. It all started with a hashtag In 2015, James Wakibia started a social media campaign on Twitter with the hashtag #banplasticsKE. Wakibia had not set out to become an environmental activist but the egregious plastic pollution in his hometown, Nakuru, prompted him to do something. The cabinet secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Prof. Judi Wakhungu caught wind of this campaign. Her support escalated this campaign into an actual gazetted plastic ban two years later. There was a court petition to lift the ban The Kenya Association of Manufacturers, traders dealing in plastic bags and activists went to court to challenge the ban. But the good news is the court upheld it. They complained that the ban would lead to economic losses including 80,000 jobs and that there was not enough public participation. But has the ban been effective? Good news: There is not yet any statistical evidence of this but, thanks to the ban the streets are cleaner, waterways are less obstructed and the number of cows ingesting plastic bags has reduced as told by David Ong?are, the enforcement director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) in an interview with the Guardian. Bad news: It's been just one year since the ban. However, there have been cases of plastic carrier bags being smuggled into the country from the neighbouring Uganda. This constitutes a major blow to the touted ban. There has been an estimated layoff of 100,000 workers due to the ban according to Samuel Matonda of the Kenyan Association of Manufacturers. He feels that more exemptions from the ban should be allowed and the government should invest more in waste management strategies. References |
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8 Comments
Hello Bonface, good to see such a nice news!
Plastic pollution and problem have for long been suggested and pointed out as the severest problems in the world.
As mentioned in the report, such solution might decrease the total amount of micro-plastic materials flooding into sea and river as well!
Thanks for your report!
Posted 14-09-2018 20:26
Thank you mentor for the kind words.
Posted 13-09-2018 20:45
Hello Bonface!
Plastic waste problem is really becoming a big problem worldwide and it is really nice to hear good news form Kenya. It is more astonishing that this all started from a single hashtag. This truly shows that when one start to speak up for the problems that we face, this brings attention to the problem and finally powers the voices that speak out for good changes!
Thanks for the report :)
Posted 12-09-2018 22:49
Enjoyed your report!
Posted 11-09-2018 09:27
It must indeed be the severest in the world. Very educating, thanks Bonface
Posted 10-09-2018 17:32
You're welcome Bonface!
Posted 09-09-2018 18:49
Many thanks Rosa.
Posted 09-09-2018 18:31
Hi Bonface!
A big congratulations to James Wakibia, Prof. Judi Wakhungu and the people of Kenya for standing up to plastic pollution! I feel so inspired by this noble and brave act.
May this be a benchmark to many countries who want to do the same!
Very informative. I enjoyed reading your report!
Posted 09-09-2018 18:16