KENYA: organic waste will soon be collected using biodegradable bags
From 8 July 2024, organic waste, including food scraps, will have to be collected using 100% biodegradable bin bags in Kenya, rather than plastic bags. This is a directive issued on 8 April 2024 by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to reduce plastic pollution in the East African country.
Are we moving towards the disappearance of plastic bags in Kenya? That’s the hope of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), which recently announced a government measure banning the use of plastic bags for the collection of organic waste in the East African country. This includes kitchen waste (food scraps, peelings, coffee grounds, paper filters, bread, dairy products, cheese rinds, vegetable tops, decomposed fruit and vegetables), garden waste (lawn clippings, leaves, hedge trimmings, dead flowers) and even household waste (tissues, paper towels, wood ashes, sawdust, shavings, newspaper, house plants, etc.).
To replace plastic, NEMA recommends the use of 100% biodegradable bin liners. “All county governments and private waste management service providers approved by NEMA are required to provide their customers with 100% biodegradable bin liners”, reads the Kenyan government body’s press release.
