Kenya can reap green dividends from plastic waste management

Plastic waste. [iStockphoto]

Studies and research show that the human population generates more than 400 million tonnes of plastic each year and that this figure is expected to triple by 2060. Of this, only 10 to 15 per cent is collected and recycled.

The rest is either land-filled, burnt, or becomes litter. Plastic is extremely durable and can takes hundreds of years to degrade. Meanwhile, we continue to bear the brunt of the adverse effects of exposure to plastics and microplastics on our health, oceans, flora, and fauna. One report indicates that the annual social and economic cost of plastic pollution could be as high as $600 billion.