Organized by UN Environment together with Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority at the 9th World Environmental Education Congress, the event presented the recent plastic bags ban introduced by the Government of Kenya, including the use, manufacture and import of any plastic bags in the country. The event also explored the education initiatives that accompanied the ban and discussed their impact on public opinion, uptake and media coverage. More info: http://www.unep.org/training/content/weec-2017-supporting-policy-through-education-%E2%80%93-no-more-plastic-bags-kenya#overlay-context=

1. Supporting Policy through
Education
No More PLASTIC BAGS IN KENYA
Presenter: Brian Waswala
9th World Environmental Education Congress
September 9 – 15, 2017
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, Canada

2. Overview of the Presentation
1. Background Information
2. Justification for the Ban on
plastic bags.
3. National Strategy for
implementation of the Ban on
Plastics
4. Education initiatives that
accompanied the ban

3. Background Information
• Everyone is entitled to a clean and healthy
environment
• Globally, plastic is used widely as a key packing
material in several sectors of the economy
• However, due to poor disposal, the plastic bags
have become a menace to society

5. Background Information cont’..
• The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment
and Natural Resources, KENYA, on the 28th of
February 2017 through a gazette notice no.
2356 banned:
- Use;
- Importation; and
- Manufacture of plastic bags used for
commercial and household packaging.

6. Background Information cont’..
Enshrined laws
- Section 3: on the right to a clean and healthy
environment and;
- Section 86: Guidelines and standards on waste
management under the Environmental
Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) Cap
387 of the Laws of Kenya
- UNEA 2/11: Marine plastic litter and micro-
plastics
Through this gazette notice the public was
notified that with effect from 6 months from
the date of the Notice the ban comes into
force.

7. Justification for the Ban on Plastic Bags
Use of science to address policy
Conducted a study (NEMA in collaboration with UN
Environment and Kenya Institute for Public Policy
Research and Analysis) that revealed that 100 million
plastic bags are issued out by supermarket chains
alone.
Due to poor disposal of the single use plastic bags,
environmental challenges arose that affect different
sectors of the economy

8. Justification for the Ban on Plastic Bags
These include:
» Inability of plastic bags to decompose thus affecting
soil and environment quality;
» Enormous littering of such bags in various parts of
the country
» Blockage of sewerage and storm water drainage
infrastructure
» Health impacts – invertebrate breeding

9. Justification for the Ban on Plastics cont’…
» Pollution of coastal and marine environment
» Death of livestock and wild animals due to
consumption of plastic material
» Air pollution when disposed off by open burning
» Aesthetic damage of ecosystems and biodiversity
» Endangering human health when used for
packaging food in particular hot food

11. Implementation Strategies of the Ban on Plastics
Awareness Creation

12. NEMA Strategy for Implementation of the Ban on
Plastics
Consultative meetings

13. Alternatives: socio-economics

14. UN Environment support for the
plastic bag ban in Kenya

15. Implementation Strategy Cont…
• Dissemination of awareness and publicity
material
• Public and Regional Awareness/sensitization
Meetings
• Identification of alternatives to plastic carrier
bags

16. Implementation Strategy Cont…
Enforcement of plastic bags ban
» Serving notices to manufactures, importers and
large consumers
» Guidelines shared with standard regulators on
the importers of plastic bags
» Inter-agency cooperation - county governments
for cooperation in effecting the ban

17. Implementation Strategy Cont…
» Sensitizing legal department - Director of Public
Prosecutions and magistrates on the notice;
» Drafting of criminal charges applicable to the
offences related to the non- compliance to the
ban
» Regular surveillance and enforcement on the
plastic bags ban

18. Implementation Strategy Cont…
Conduct research and document scientific
information for supporting the plastic bags ban
Moni and evaluate the progress of the
implementation of the plastic carrier bags ban
What’s in your burger?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZRcQvqP
7IM

19. CONCLUSION
• Public participation is essential for the success of the
plastic ban.
• Aimed at awakening and raising people’s sensitivity
to concerns.
• Awareness is created through formal and non-formal
education
• Environmental education is vital to changing people’s
attitudes to appreciating a clean, safe and healthy
environment
• Creates responsibility among the different
communities, increases environmental accountability
and governance;
• Promotes holistic resource use and resource
efficiency

20. THANK YOU
This is Our Environment, Its Our Life and Our Responsibility,
Lets TAKE CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
www.nema.go.ke