A dumpsite full of plastic bags which have been an environmental menace in Kenya. [Photo/Citizen Digital]
South Africa, Chile, Oman and Sri Lanka want to follow in Kenya’s footsteps to ban plastic bags use by their citizens.
The four countries announced the new measures including plastic bags bans, marine litter and ocean pollution, when their representatives visited Nairobi last week during the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).In Africa, plastic bags have been fully or partially banned in Kenya, Rwanda, Eritrea, Mauritania, Botswana, Tunisia, Morocco, Tanzania and Uganda.The Minister of Environment for Sri Lanka, Anura Dissanayake, said they are banning plastics to set the trend in Asia.“Sri Lanka is taking bold action to turn the tide on plastics. We have banned plastic bags and are now working to reduce the number of plastic bottles in the country,” he said in Gigiri as quoted by the Star.South Africa said it will step up its beach clean up programme and prioritise action on tyres and electronic waste.Nearly 40 countries from Kenya to Canada and Indonesia to Brazil have joined the #CleanSeas campaign, which aims to counter the deluge of plastic trash that are degrading world oceans.“For too long, we have treated the ocean as a bottomless dumping ground for plastic, sewage and other waste,” said Erik Solheim, head of the UN Environment Programme as quoted by the Star.Kenya banned plastic bags in August and is now contemplating action on plastic bottles.National Environment Management Authority chairman John Konchellah said they will consult with the Environment ministry on how such bottles can be limited.“As soon as we are through plastic bags we will start addressing the plastic bottles menace. We do not need them (plastic bottles). We will work together with the Environment ministry to address this issue,” he said in Nakuru town.Data from the Environment ministry shows that approximately 50 million bottles are used annually across Kenya.Alternatives to plastic bottles include glass, aluminum and natural materials like paper.