NAN-F-39
Ban
Nairobi, Aug. 25, 2017 (Xinhua/NAN) Chege Kariuki, Chairman of Waste and Environment Association of Kenya (WEMAK), government’s planned plastic ban, effective from Aug. 28 would lead to loss of thousands of jobs in that country.
Kariuki told a news conference that while waste bin liners had in theory been exempted from the ban, this was really not the case.
“The conditions set for waste companies as well as manufacturers to receive an exemption are such that it will be impossible for the waste management industry to comply.
“As a result, we envisage that the sector will have to scale down operations and hence, reduce its workforce in order to comply with the law,” he said.
The environment ministry has banned the use, manufacture and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging.
The ban targeted carrier bags with handles, with or without gussets, or flat bags without handles and with or without gussets.
Offenders are to face punishment of 40,000 dollars fine or four months imprisonment.
A group of manufacturers and importers of plastic bags have gone to court to prevent the plastic ban from taking effect from Monday.
The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has also advised Kenyans to use alternatives such as bags made from cloth, sisal or paper.
Kariuki said that the waste management sector had increased tremendously in the past two decades due to rapid urbanisation.
“The development of high rise flats makes it more convenient for waste to be carried via plastic bags as opposed to bulky waste bins.”
The plastic ban outlaws the use of plastic waste bin liners.
The chairman said that using other alternatives to plastic waste bin liners would also not be possible due to their prohibitive costs.
“So unless government reconsiders the ban, waste management will become impossible for all waste companies from next week.” (Xinhua /NAN)
OYE/DUA
Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Dada Ahmed