Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo plants a tree seedling during the world environment day/COURTESY
Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa on Thursday led the country in marking this year’s World Environment Day.
The national celebrations were held at Tharaka Nithi University under the theme “Ending Plastic Pollution.”
Speaking at the event, Barasa said the theme highlights the urgent need to act in order to protect the planet and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
She noted that while plastic has become an essential part of modern life, its environmental impact is deeply troubling.
“The world produces over 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, with two-thirds ending up as waste that pollutes our oceans, degrades our land, and infiltrates the food chain,” she said.
“Only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, and more plastic has been created in the past decade than during the entire 20th century.”
Barasa stressed that plastic pollution is among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
It threatens ecosystems, marine biodiversity, fisheries, coastal economies, and human health. She said many countries have enacted policies to tackle plastic pollution. Kenya, Rwanda, and Burkina Faso were among the first to ban plastic bags.
“At the continental level, the African Union and the Africa Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) are crafting coordinated solutions. In September 2024, ACEA, in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), proposed an Africa-wide standard for recycled plastic (specifically food-grade PET) to support recycling and intra-African trade in recycled materials.”
Barasa added that the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) has backed measures to reduce plastic waste and promote circular economy models.
“These efforts—harmonising standards, sharing best practices, and investing in recycling—are steps towards Africa becoming a global leader in sustainable plastics management.”
She reported that compliance with the single-use plastic ban now stands at over 80%. In May 2025, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) seized over 1.7 million illegal plastic bags in Nairobi.
She said enforcement remains key to Kenya’s strategy, with steps being taken to stop cross-border smuggling of banned materials. NEMA estimates that up to 80% of illicit plastic bags come from outside the country.
The Cabinet Secretary was joined by Environment Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno and NEMA leadership, including chairperson Emilio Mugo and Director-General Mamo Mamo.
Barasa said her ministry is collaborating with the private sector through the Kenya Plastics Pact—an initiative that brings producers and retailers together to meet reduction targets: 50 per cent recycled content by 2030 and 100 per cent reusable or recyclable packaging.
Experts predict that by 2040, plastic leakage into the environment will grow by 50 per cent.
Pollution is already entering our bodies through the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe.
This year’s event comes two months ahead of the next round of global negotiations for a treaty to end plastic pollution.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that plastic waste clogs rivers, pollutes the ocean, and harms wildlife.
“As it breaks down into smaller particles, it reaches every corner of the Earth—from the top of Mount Everest to the ocean depths; from human brains to human breast milk,” he said.
“Yet there is a growing movement for urgent change. We are seeing rising public engagement, steps towards reusability and greater accountability, and policies to cut single-use plastics and improve waste management. But we must go further, faster.”
This year’s official World Environment Day ceremony took place in Jeju, Republic of Korea.
It underscored the urgent need to end plastic pollution—a crisis affecting much of life on Earth. Korea has taken significant steps in this area.
Jeju Province is leading a campaign to reduce plastic use, involving government, business, and citizens.
The goal is to reduce single-use plastics, reuse more, and recycle widely—a model known as circularity.
The province aims to end plastic pollution by 2040. A key part of that plan is encouraging residents to stop using single-use plastic products. Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, said ending plastic pollution is essential for human, planetary, economic, and business health.
“It is possible to end plastic pollution. But we cannot rely on recycling alone,” she said.
“Only by addressing the entire life cycle of plastics and embracing circular approaches can we keep plastic out of our oceans, soils, and bodies.”
“This requires a complete rethink of how we design, make, use, and reuse plastics.”
