• On February 27, 2017, the Environment Ministry banned the use of plastic carrier bags through a gazette notice.
• The 19 who were arrested on Wednesday were slapped with Sh 50,000 fine each.
Image: NEMA/TWITTER
The National Environment Management Authority on Thursday arrested 34 people in Nairobi county found with banned single-use plastics.
On Wednesday, 19 people were arrested in a sting operation meant to weed out the contraband.
One of those arrested during the Wednesday operation was charged with dumping.
The operation is being conducted by a multi-agency team comprised of inspectors from Nema, the National Police Service officials as well as the Nairobi county government.
Nema's Nairobi director of enforcement Catherine Thaithi oversaw the operation.
"We will continue with the operation until we are satisfied that there are no banned plastics in use. It will be done weekly," Thaithi said.
The crackdown on single-use plastics is taking place nationally.
The Wednesday sting operation took place in Wakulima Market, Kamiti Road, where vendors of the banned plastics were rounded up. Then they were taken to City Hall Court where they faced charges relating to possession of banned plastics.
The 19 who were arrested on Wednesday were fined Sh50,000 each.
All of those arrested were users.
Nema is using intelligence to nab those still producing them.
On Thursday, the officials conducted the operation at Nairobi West, South C and South B where 15 other people were arrested..
Those caught unaware were eateries and those selling vegetables, sugar cane.
They were yet to be arraigned before City Hall Court by press time.
On February 27, 2017, the Environment Ministry banned the use of thin plastic carrier bags through a gazette notice.
The ban came into effect in August of that year.
Possession of such plastics attracts a fine of Sh2 million to Sh4 million, or a jail term of one to two years, or both.
Before 2017, about 100 million non biodegradeable plastic bags were used in Kenyan supermarkets every year, with severe consequences for the environment.
For instance, a study supported by Nema in 2017 showed more than 50 per cent of livestock had ingested plastics.
The study conducted in Dagoretti, Kiserian and the Kenya Meat Commission showed that affected livestock were weak, with lower milk and beef production.
The government says the ban will help protect the environment and improve living standards.
Despite the ban, however, plastic bags are still being smuggled into the country.
It is suspected they come from Tanzania, Somalia and Uganda.
The authority has been facing challenges in Garissa, Mandera, Moyale, Busia, Taita Taveta, Namanga and other border posts.
On June 5, 2019, Kenya banned single-use plastics on beaches, national parks, forests and conservation areas.
The ban prohibits visitors from carrying single-use plastic water bottles, disposable cups, plates, cutlery and straws into national parks, forests, beaches and conservation areas.
The war being waged against plastics gains momentum as global efforts to eliminate plastic pollution gain momentum.
Globally, a bid is on course to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
In February, at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a resolution was adopted to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution with the ambition to complete the negotiations by the end of 2024.
The instrument will be based on a comprehensive approach addressing the full life cycle of plastic.
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee will consider how to promote sustainable production and consumption of plastics from product design to environmentally sound waste management through resource efficiency and circular economy approaches.
A new report by UNEP released this week said plastic use throughout the life cycle poses serious health and environmental threats and should be the focus of global regulations.
The review, 'Chemicals in Plastics: A Technical Report' has immediate significance for the upcoming Plastics Treaty negotiations in Paris later this month.
This is because it explores in detail issues related to the invisible health threats posed by chemicals in plastic and the need for global chemical controls and approaches that promote reducing plastic production.
The report says that hazardous chemicals can be emitted and released at all stages of the life cycle of plastics, leading to dangerous ecosystem and human exposures.
It says chemicals mainly from plastics have been found to be associated with a wide range of acute, chronic, or multi-generational toxic effects.
This includes specific target organ toxicity, various types of cancer, genetic mutations, reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption and ecotoxicity.
(Edited by V. Graham)