- Nema has directed all county governments and private waste service providers licensed by Nema to provide their clients with 100% biodegradable bags.
- The Authority has directed all garbage to be carried in biodegradable garbage bags.
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The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has announced a ban on the use of plastic bags to collect and dispose of garbage.
In a notice dated April 8, Nema said Kenyans have 90 days to stop using plastic bags from the date of the notice.
"For the foregoing therefore and to ensure environmentally sound management of the organic waste fraction, the Authority directs that within 90 days from the date of this notice:
"The use of conventional plastic bags/bin liners for collection of organic waste shall thus cease forthwith," the notice reads.
The Authority has directed all garbage to be carried in biodegradable garbage bags.
It has also directed all county governments and private waste service providers licensed by Nema to provide their clients with 100% biodegradable bags.
"All organic waste generated by households, private sector and public sector institutions, private and public functions and events; shall strictly be segregated and placed in 100% biodegradable garbage bags/bin liners only," Nema said.
The directive is in line with Section 12 of the Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2022.
The section requires that; (1) All public and private sector entities segregate non-hazardous waste into organic and non-organic fractions, (2) The segregated waste be placed in properly labelled and colour coded receptacles, bins, containers and bags. (3) All waste service providers to collect, handle and transport segregated waste.
This comes seven years after the government of Kenya imposed a ban on manufacture, importation and use of plastic carrier bags for commercial and household packaging.
The initial ban in 2017 was made by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.