Kenya's Bold Steps Towards Sustainable Waste Management

By Thuku Kariuki and Daniel Furnad

Kenya has made great strides towards cleaning up its trash, driven by robust policies to tackle the garbage menace. At the forefront is a 2017 law that banned single-use plastic bags for both home and commercial use. This year, new regulations will go into effect, taking plastic bags out of markets. Organic waste will be disposed of in 100% biodegradable garbage bags.

However, Kenya’s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) is not just resting on the curb. They are collaborating with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to push a responsibility agenda further. A workshop in Nairobi last week, supported by USAID through Prosper Africa, outlined this ambitious agenda, gathering over 150 participants from various sectors, including producers, manufacturers, waste pickers, and civil society.

The mantra of the workshop was teamwork, exploring diverse avenues for stakeholders in the waste industry, commercial organizations, and average citizens to collaborate.

While addressing the manufacturers, Dr. Ayub Macharia, the Director of Environmental Compliance at the NEMA, emphasized the impact of Extended Consumer Responsibility (EPR) on communities.

"Successful EPR implementation in Kenya depends on raising consumer awareness about proper waste disposal, involving informal waste pickers, and ensuring that PROs and producers are committed to increasing waste collection and recycling," he declared.

NEMA has prioritized focusing on the importance of the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 and the drafted EPR Regulations, which aim to guide Kenya towards sustainable development. Dr. Macharia urged producers and manufacturers to collaborate in developing detailed EPR plans, including measures to recover waste across Kenya. He highlighted that collective action often yields better results despite the possibility of individual efforts.

Recognizing the often-overlooked role of waste pickers, NEMA and KEPSA involved them in the discussions to equip them with information. Previously, the informal waste sector actors were educated about various products, the estimated volume of waste generated, and pricing for waste recovery. The pickers later expressed their concerns, including fair compensation for what they collect. The participants agreed that ensuring just rewards for these stakeholders is crucial for their well-being and for creating sustainable waste management systems.

Additionally, the workshop highlighted the crucial role of the private sector in supporting Kenya's transition to a circular economy. Dennis Kiplagat, the Project Officer at Sustainable Inclusive Business, encouraged KEPSA members to innovate, particularly in adopting alternative packaging materials.

"The private sector can also invest in research and development to find and implement innovative technologies that enhance waste collection and recycling, improve waste transportation efficiency, and spread information about EPR and circular economy principles," asserted Kiplagat.

"Nairobi alone generates 2400 tonnes of solid waste every day. One-fifth of that is comprised of plastics. Recycling is one key measure in dealing with this huge volume. For this waste to be recycled, it needs to be recovered, presenting another challenge," he added.  

Designing products to include less waste is also essential to an effective EPR regime. Dr. Macharia noted, "EPR caters to the post-consumer aspect of waste management to ensure that the waste is collected and transported appropriately to the recyclers, incinerators or the landfill. The collection aspect also involves appropriate compensation for the waste pickers and aggregators."

Another tool that is being introduced is an Eco-levy. This tax will apply a tax of 150 Kenyan shillings per kilogram on most goods, including all plastic packaging materials. This levy will be paid by local producers upon removing goods from the excise stock room and by importers when goods enter Kenya.

 Dr. Macharia explained, "Eco-levy picks from where EPR stops and will be used for infrastructure and deploying research and technology to manage the residual waste destined for disposal by the EPR schemes. In addition, the country has suffered from problematic waste in our dumpsites. This existing or legacy waste needs to be managed so that it doesn't continue polluting the environment.  We need reusable and recyclable products and not those destined for linear use and disposal,"

Rome wasn't built in a day or the 123-acre Dandora dumpsite. The innovations and teamwork needed to tame Kenya's trash will take time and hard work. However, NEMA and KEPSA have laid the groundwork for the government, private sector, and the nation's citizens to pull together and reduce waste to create a cleaner and healthier Kenya.