Bottle manufacturing companies will not be allowed to operate if they are not part of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.
An EPR scheme offers initiatives and infrastructure to separate waste collection and recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
Currently, PET Recycling Company Limited (Petco Kenya) is the only existing EPR scheme in the country enabling the recycling of such post-consumer (PET) bottles into other products such as duvets, pillows and roofing tiles.
Ministry Of Environment CAS Mohammed Elmi said there is progress in waste management in the past six months since the scheme started running. However, they will put regulations to ensure a lasting action.
“What we will soon demand to be a policy is to have all PET manufacturers and producers join an EPR scheme. We need to have a drastic behavioural change and provide an environmental solution to the increased littered bottles,” Elmi said during the signing of a partnership agreement between Petco and Kenya Association of Manufactures.
The partnership would involve intensive public awareness beginning with residential associations on collection points, and strong partnerships with county governments.