Waste collection costs are increasing because Nema is banning plastic bags for organic waste

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has banned the use of plastic bags for the collection of organic waste, such as food waste.

In a statement on April 8, Nema said the ban will take effect after 90 days.

“All organic waste generated from households, private and public sector institutions, religious institutions, private and public functions and events will be strictly segregated and placed only in 100 percent biodegradable garbage/garbage bags,” Nema said .

The environmental watchdog says waste service providers are required to provide biodegradable rubbish bags to their customers for the collection of organic waste.

“The use of conventional plastic bags/garbage bags for organic waste collection will therefore stop immediately,” Nema said.

The Authority’s measure is likely to increase the cost of waste collection, especially for households.

Immediately after the government banned plastic shopping bags in 2017, outlets began charging for carrier bags, essentially creating new revenue streams for supermarkets, shoe retailers and food vendors.

Apartments in Nairobi and other cities charge tenants a monthly fee for garbage collection.

The allowance starts from just Sh100 per month and tenants are usually given plastic bags by garbage collectors who come once or twice a week.

Because biodegradable bags are more expensive than plastic bags, landlords are likely to increase waste collection costs, putting further pressure on already burdened households.

“The waste must be collected separately and transported to a designated material recovery facility for further processing,” Nema added.

This comes seven years after Kenya banned single-use plastic bags as a means to reduce environmental pollution. However, the ban exempted materials used for industrial primary packaging, disposable bags for handling biomedical and hazardous waste, and garbage bags.

Nema previously said the ban has achieved an 80 percent compliance rate and helped drastically reduce plastic pollution, which previously made drainages a nightmare in cities and towns.

Despite this apparent success, some unscrupulous traffickers have continued to smuggle single-use plastic bags into the country from neighboring countries through porous borders.