The National Environment Management Authority’s (Nema) clarification that it will allow production, importation and use of plastic bags in primary industrial packaging and garbage collection is spot on.
It comes as a relief to worried consumers, who use plastic bags for home waste disposal and who had yet to find an alternative just a week to the coming into force of the ban.
However, this exemption – which also includes disposal bags for handling biomedical and hazardous waste – could create a loophole for importers and manufacturers who may take advantage if authorities do not strictly define its parameters. Manufacturers are justified in demanding that the ministry gazettes the exemption.
Not only will the legal document lend further legitimacy to the directive, but clearly spelling out its limitations will also make it easier for the watchdog to implement.
While the ban on plastics is a commendable milestone for Kenya, the framework within which it is set is just as important to avoid chaos in implementation down the road.
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