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The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has announced a comprehensive ban on the use of plastic bags for rubbish collection and disposal. This directive mandates all private and public garbage handlers to transition to 100% biodegradable bags within the next 90 days.
In an official statement, NEMA emphasized the urgent need for this change to mitigate environmental pollution caused by plastic waste. The directive requires all county governments and private waste service providers to supply their clients with biodegradable bags.
βAll organic waste generated by households, private sector and public sector institutions, religious institutions, private and public functions and events; shall strictly be segregated and placed in 100% biodegradable garbage bags/bin liners only,β the statement read. βThe use of conventional plastic bags/bin liners for collection of organic waste shall thus cease forthwith. All County Governments and private waste service providers licensed by NEMA are required to provide their clients with 100% biodegradable garbage bags/bin liners only.β
NEMA cited Section 12 of the Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022, which requires:
- All public and private sector entities to segregate non-hazardous waste into organic and non-organic fractions.
- Segregated waste to be placed in properly labelled and color-coded receptacles, bins, containers, and bags.
- All waste service providers to collect, handle, and transport segregated waste.
This move builds on Kenya’s earlier environmental protection efforts. In 2017, the Government of Kenya banned the use, manufacture, and importation of plastic carrier bags and flat bags for commercial and household packaging through Gazette notices Numbers 2343 and 2356, issued by the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
NEMA’s recent directive aims to further reduce plastic waste and its harmful impact on the environment, encouraging sustainable waste management practices across the country.
