It’s the International Plastic Bag-Free day today.
The day provides a unique chance to spread the news that a world without plastic bags is conceivable and that environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use plastic bags are available.
Since August 28, 2017, plastic bags have been prohibited in Kenya. It is prohibited to use, produce, or import them.
Plastic carrier bags “Juala” used as supplemental packaging for commodities in shops and markets are prohibited with no exemptions.
Flat bags used for carrying objects outside of an industrial setting, such as groceries or garbage, are prohibited.
However, exhemption is extended in this category for bags used for industrial primary packaging where the product comes into direct touch with the plastic and is done at the source.
Kenya has also become a model for other African countries, particularly those in East Africa, that have yet to outlaw plastic bags.
The Authority was recently honoured as the Environmental Regulator of the Year in Accra, Ghana, for its role in African countries in the elimination of single-use plastics.
During the UNEA 5.2 meeting in Nairobi this year, delegates passed a resolution to eliminate plastic bags by founding an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee with the mandate to forge an international legally enforceable agreement to halt plastic pollution by the end of 2024.
