As Kenya and the world mark another World Environment Day, it is crucial for Kenya to take stock of the hits and misses on the plastic ban.

The country has made gains, but effective policy implementation remains a challenge.

Despite the plastic ban taking effect almost a decade ago and a further ban on single-use plastic in all protected areas in 2020, concerns persist over the return of single-use plastic bags in most of Kenya’s markets, roadside hawkers, and informal settlements.

Some commodities, such as sugar, are still being packed in single-use plastic bags eight years after they were outlawed in what was seen as one of the toughest laws against single-use plastic bags.

When the ban took effect in 2017, significant improvement was realised in safeguarding the environment and livelihoods from plastic pollution challenges.

We no longer had plastic bags flying throughout our neighbourhoods or clogging our drainage systems.

The ban significantly reduced plastic bag use in many areas, with some reports indicating an 80 per cent reduction. However, as time passes, we are witnessing worrisome laxity in enforcing the ban.

The non-woven bags, commonly known as “Uhuru bags” and introduced as alternatives shortly after the 2017 ban, were initially deemed eco-friendly.

However, the market has been flooded with low-quality versions that cannot be used multiple times and are disposed of after a single use, creating another environmental menace.

Plastic manufacturers and businesses in Kenya have strongly opposed the plastic bag ban, citing potential job losses and economic impact, while pushing for false solutions such as recycling.

Recycling has proven unsustainable—with only about nine per cent of all plastic waste globally being recycled according to the latest OECD data—and cannot form part of any sound environmental sustainability practice.

Some plastic bags being used now are imported from neighbouring countries through porous border points and supplied to various markets by organised cartels.

Uganda, for instance, only recently announced plans to ban the plastic carrier bag popularly known as “kavera”.

Plastic legislation across East Africa is fragmented, while the implementation of existing policies is almost non-existent.

Since plastic is a transboundary substance, there is a need for regional collaboration and a coordinated approach toward ending this crisis.

East African legislative members need to push for regional implementation of the single-use plastic carrier bag ban to achieve benefits across Kenya and East Africa.

Both national, regional, and global actions are required to effectively eliminate unnecessary plastics and protect our future from plastic pollution challenges.

The Global Plastics Treaty, if agreed upon, will be one way of addressing these unilateral policies.

Member states must therefore go beyond their business interests, resist corporate capture by big international oil companies and corporations, and ensure they deliver a treaty that prioritises cuts in plastic production in Geneva next August.

Anything short of this will be a wasted opportunity and resources.

Plastic bags take about 100 years to decompose. With 99 per cent of plastic originating from fossil fuels, plastic not only contributes to environmental degradation but also exacerbates the climate crisis.

Its combustion releases carbon dioxide and dioxins into the atmosphere.

Plastic production has a particularly harsh impact on low-income and marginalised communities globally and is associated with health problems such as cancer and asthma.

Environment watchdog NEMA needs to improve its policing activities both within and across borders to apprehend illegal suppliers of banned single-use plastic carrier bags.

Hellen Dena is the Project Lead for the Pan-African Plastic Project at Greenpeace Africa