Senate approves laws aimed at curbing plastic waste

The Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation has ratified seven regulations aimed at curbing the plastic waste menace in the country.

The regulations were presented by Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) and the Sustainable Waste Management Act.

Under the new regulations dubbed 'Extended Producer Responsibility', industry CS Duale says players will take responsibility should trash from their products be found polluting the environment.

This means that manufacturers will have a big part to play in the conservation of the environment.

"To define a packaging waste, such as from the milk-producing company, Brookside or a Coca Cola bottle in that river, as a waste, we will not go and deal with the Kenyan who bought that thing, we will look for the producer," said Duale.

"That is not even the Coca-Cola franchise in Kenya but the brand owner who will be forced by NEMA to go and clean that section of the river or environment that is being destroyed."

The CS argued that the regulation 'Extended Producer Responsibility' is not limited to Kenya but happens everywhere in the world, adding that Kenya is now a leader in the climate change.