The government has shelved plans to ban plastic bottles after reaching an agreement with Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM).
The Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Environment Mohammed Elmi was speaking at the unveiling of the U-turn Waste Project aimed at recycling plastic bottles.
“We have formed an association with KAM whose aim is to find a sustainable way through which plastic packaging can be recycled, made more useful and friendly to the environment,” stated Mohammed.
“We believe that in the next five years, up to 80 percent of plastic bottles will be on the recycling loop,” he added.
The project is a joint venture by Unilever East Africa and Mr. Green- a waste management service provider.
The venture will not only provide employment but will give honour to those currently tasked with the duty of collecting the waste.
Unilever is a large producer of consumer goods, a lot of which are packaged in plastic containers.
“It is a very important partnership for Unilever. We have made big commitments to take the lead in creating a bright future for Kenyans and our environment is a key part of that. Plastics have a big role to play, “Unilever CEO Justin Apsey stated
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) had given manufacturers of plastic bottles a directive to install collection points for the bottles across the country failure to which, the ban would be implemented.
Data from the Ministry of Environment indicates that approximately 50 million bottles are used annually across the country. They are disposed of into the environment, forming a bulk of waste.
