The Government in collaboration with Environmental Development Partners (EDP) have officially launched the NO SUP USE (No Single-Use Plastics) elimination campaign and manual, a landmark initiative aimed at phasing out problematic single-use plastics, starting with Kenya’s hospitality and tourism sectors.
The manual promotes the principles of Refuse, Reduce, Replace, Reuse, and Refill focused on accelerating the transition to a circular economy for plastics.
Speaking on day two of the 10th Annual Circular Economy Conference and No Waste Festival which featured the Kenya Plastics Pact (KPP) Summit, Karin Boomsma, Project Director of Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya (SIB-K) acknowledged the progress made in eliminating single-use plastics while highlighting the challenges of making a circular economy for plastics work.
“We want to eliminate plastics that are problematic and unnecessary. This is not based on a gut feeling but on research, and it involves bringing everyone together in this space to say what is actually problematic and unnecessary,” stated Boomsma.
She emphasized the need to approach circularity from a design perspective to transform the linear economy into a viable and sustainable circular economy.
Concurrently, Akshay Shah, Group Executive Director at Sila Africa and Chair of the Kenya Plastics Pact (KPP) Steering Committee, noted the progress achieved over the last five years in advancing circular economy principles.
He highlighted that circular economy is poised to be Kenya’s greatest economic transformation driver, establishing the nation as a global green manufacturing hub that will unleash significant investment, generate jobs across all skill levels, and unlock ecotourism.
“We need a clear definition of problematic plastics and must showcase that recycling can be profitable if the right environment and enforcement are in place,” demanded Shah.
Discussing the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Kenya, Dr. Ayub Macharia, Director for Environmental Enforcement at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), emphasized the value-chain approach and the essential role waste pickers play within it.
He noted that NEMA is working closely with all actors across the value chain to strengthen the system.
Dr Macharia also urged private-sector players to develop effective mechanisms for managing the waste they generate, underscoring their critical responsibility in achieving a functional circular economy.
Meanwhile, the summit also featured two plenary sessions and five breakout sessions exploring topics such as EPR and Legislation, Circular Futures, Design Thinking in Practice, No Plastics in the MICE, Hospitality & Tourism Industry, and the Global Plastics Treaty.
Other notable guests included Mr Joharie Kisiangani of Takataka Solutions, Dr. Catherine Mbaisi, Deputy Director of Environmental Education & Awareness at NEMA and other Government officials from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry
The event, themed ‘Reimagine: Looking Back into the Future’, convened over 300 delegates, including policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and youth, for a day focused on “Circularity in Action”.
By Michael Omondi
