Manufacturers move to stop plastic bottles ban

Manufacturers have moved to avert a ban on plastic bottles by engaging stakeholders to support recycling at all levels.

Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) vice-chairman, Mr Mucai Kunyiha, said on Wednesday in Nairobi that manufacturers would engage recycling firms as well as support waste collectors to establish viable value chains to create jobs and wealth.

“We are working with different stakeholders to help achieve policy changes that support a truly circular economy and a more holistic view of material use, collection, and reuse of plastic bottles,” he said at the signing of an agreement between waste collectors and waste collectors.

National Plastic Bottles Management Committee chairman Ayub Macharia said a review of the memorandum of understanding would be made every quarter on the progress made to deter littering as well as measures taken to promote recycling.

“Kenya needs jobs and new revenue streams that support development by the county and national governments,” he said.

The KAM pledged to link waste collectors to recyclers, creating new value chains.

The pact also involves the National Transport and Safety Authority in licensing of trucks ferrying waste-for-recycling to ease challenges at cess roadblocks where county revenue collectors levy wastes transporters.

Kenya Waste Recyclers Association secretary-general Richard Kainika said licensing of waste dealers would establish a viable value chain.

Last year, the government expressed its intention to ban plastic bottles eliciting sharp responses from manufacturers who use them for packaging various products. The saw formation of an all-inclusive stakeholders committee to look into ways of reversing negative effects of plastic bottles.

The manufacturers had earlier opposed the ban on plastic carrier bags on August 28 last year saying it would cost the industry an estimated Sh88 billion.