Environmentalists calls for crackdown on banned single-use plastics

Pupils from Lion Hill Primary School, near Lake Nakuru National Park, joined staff led by Cluster General Manager Duncan Mwangi of Sarova Woodlands in a plastic waste cleanup on June 5, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Environmentalists have raised concerns about the non-compliance with the ban on single-use plastic bags.

They say that despite the ban on single-use plastic bags in 2017, there is an increased amount of the bags being smuggled into the country.

While marking World Environment Day in Nakuru, environmentalists pointed out implementation gaps that have seen more plastics getting into the markets.

Anam Echakari, head of Wildlife Clubs of Kenya Rift Region, said that awareness campaigns against the use of single-use plastic bags have gone down.

He said the trend has seen an influx in the usage of the banned plastics across many urban areas in the country.

"The missing link is enforcement. We are seeing many of the banned single-use plastic bags making inroads into the markets. We are calling on the National Environment and Management Committee to implement the ban," Echakari said.

He said serious crackdowns should be conducted to avoid plastic pollution.

Duncan Mwangi, Cluster manager at Sarova Woodlands and Lion Hill, said that while there are still some challenges in implementing the ban on single-use plastic bags, tourism industry players have put in efforts to reduce plastics

" These plastics are still common around marketplaces, and implementation is a continuous process. The tourism industry is, however, making great progress in eradicating the use of plastic bags and bottles within hotels and protected areas," Mr Mwangi said.

He added that there is still a need for constant awareness campaigns and enforcement to fully achieve the targets.

Lions Hill Primary head teacher Robert Mwangi said that the hands-on new curriculum is equipping learners to take care of the environment

"School provides a good platform for the learners to learn about taking care of the environment and coming up with innovative solutions to solve environmental challenges that we are facing. Teaming up efforts to make sure that there is adherence to the laws will make it easier for learners to adopt good practices," he said.

The government banned the use, manufacture, and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging on 28th August 2017.

The ban came into force following the increasing demand for plastic products coupled with poor waste management measures, leading to a build-up of plastic waste in the environment, including ecologically sensitive areas.