Environment PS calls for more effort in waste management
By George.Kebaso, June 13, 2023Kenyans have been asked to take responsibility for the waste they churn out of their homes to reduce the amount ending up in the country’s landfills.
The call comes at a time when pollution and waste threaten the survival of mankind, and therefore the need for new initiatives such as Taka Ni Mali (Waste is Wealth).
It is estimated that Kenya generates between 3,000 to 4,000 tons of waste per day, the majority of which originates from urban areas.
And out of this, only 400 tons of waste generated in the country – an estimated 10 per cent of the 4,000 tons generated daily in Kenya- that reach designated dumpsites and recycling plants, prompting calls for action.
“This therefore calls the world to put in more effort to manage waste,” Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Principal Secretary, Festus Ng’eno rallied delegates attending a waste management meeting in Nairobi.
With just 400 tons ending up in recycling plants, a colossal 3,600 tons are choking the environment. And even more concerning is the revelation that only 80 tons of the waste that’s inorganic – plastics, paper and metal waste- is recycled, leaving a whole 720 tons contaminating the environment.
Address loopholes
Ng’eno noted that there is an urgent need to address loopholes in the country’s solid waste management ecosystem, to curb thousands of tons of waste ending up in open landfills and unregulated recycling plants. “Using the circular economy model to minimise waste through recycling existing materials and products, is therefore inevitable,” he said.
Speaking at the inaugural Africa Waste is Wealth Series (AWWS) meeting in Nairobi, the PS pointed out that due to the weaknesses in infrastructure management, waste has accumulated over the years. This also emerged as a barrier to solving environmental pollution.
While calling on the participants in the meeting which concludes later today to come up with concrete recommendations for a way forward, Ng’eno noted that waste recycling industries are faced with the challenge of operating in formalised, and sustainable waste management systems.