President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a ban on the use of single-use plastics in protected areas in the country, which include; national parks, forests and beaches.

The ban on plastics, which was announced on World Environment Day, will become effective on 5th June 2020.

“Today I am announcing another ban on single-use plastics in all our protected areas, including National Parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas effective 5th June 2020,” President Kenyatta

President Kenyatta, who announced the ban on plastics while making a speech at the Women Deliver conference in Canada, maintained that Kenya is a trailblazing nation with regards to environmental protection and conservation, adding that the main actors are women.

“Kenya is host to the global environment programme and has remained a campaigner for a sustainable environment. Two years ago we banned the use, manufacture and sale of environmentally harmful plastics, polythene bags and packaging materials,” He said.

KENYA ENFORCES PLASTIC BAGS BAN

Kenya made history by becoming one of the first countries to ban plastic bags in 2017 in a move The Guardian described as “the world’s toughest ban on plastic bags”.

It is estimated that Kenyans use 24 million plastic bags each year.

BUILDING THE GLOBAL MOMENTUM ON MARINE/AQUATIC PLASTICS LITTER

In a side event hosted by the embassy of Netherlands, Building The Global Momentum On Marine/Aquatic Plastics Litter, during the blue economy conference hosted by Kenya in partnership with Japan and Canada in 2018, Kenya was lauded for the plastic bags ban, with speakers at the event saying it will help a great deal in reducing plastic pollution in the oceans.

http://www.kenyaforum.net/2018/11/30/blue-economy-kenya-should-take-action-on-plastic-bottles-waste-management/