EDITORIAL: Involve all main players in looming plastic bottles ban

Even as the ban on plastic bags awaits kick-off in September, the government has yet again shown its serious intentions in the war on plastics.

The Environment ministry has now announced a looming ban on the use of plastic bottles to curb environmental pollution.

The latest move is targeted at water bottlers and manufacturers of soft drinks who will now have to find alternative packaging materials.

While environmentalists are jumping with joy at the prospect of a total ban on plastics, manufacturers are up in arms at the new developments.

After the Environment ministry announced in March that it would impose a ban on the use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers termed the ban  illegal and rushed.

It claimed that the ban would hurt plastic manufacturers and affect more than 60,000 workers. But the ministry countered by terming the figure as an exaggeration.

Plastics have for many years been cited as one of the many contributors to environmental pollution across  the world. Plastic materials have been blamed for air, water and land pollution. One only needs to look at beaches or landfills that are clogged by these materials.

Though they are very popular with the masses, the fact that they are not biodegradable has been cited as one of the major causes of harm to plants, wildlife and humans.

Though both sides of the divide have stuck to their guns in supporting or protesting against the ban, we feel that there is need to reach a compromise that would provide an amicable solution.

We need to ask ourselves why there is currently no serious push for alternative packaging materials.

Isn’t it time the government and manufacturers explored an environmentally conscious agenda as one unit instead of working at cross purposes?

The goal must always be to protect our environment while ensuring that people are also given opportunities to earn a living. It is now time to find a lasting solution to the problem that would be all-encompassing.