Kenya loses 174,000 tonnes of plastic to illegal waste of environment per year

Findings from a new report indicate that 174,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are lost to the environment or illegal dump sites per annum in Kenya.

The report was commissioned by the Danish Environment Protection Agency (DEPA) and delivered by Eunomia Research & Consulting and Capital Operating Partners.

The Plastic Packaging and Waste Flows in Kenya report highlighted that from the 260,000 tonnes of packing produced per year by trade and manufacturing, 67% is lost.

48,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are sent to landfill and approximately 37,000 tonnes are recycled, accounting for 18.5% and 14.2% respectively.

“Kenya is making good progress when it comes to tackling plastic pollution,” commented Tim Elliot, Principle Consultant at Eunomia.

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“Having already introduced a carrier bag ban, the country is now taking steps to understand how to manage other types of plastic as a useful resource.”

“It’s looking first to understand what’s out there, before then starting to improve the management of what’s there.

“There are still, however, massive quantities of unmanaged waste, with huge numbers of illegal waste sites, and widespread littering, so there’s lots more to be done.”

“Now could be the time to raise awareness around other problematic single use plastics and to explore the role extended producer responsibility can play in holding businesses accountable for managing packaging waste, and improving its recyclability.”

“We hope this research is a good step towards Kenya developing a credible strategy towards managing plastics and other wastes.”