KENYA – At the KEPRO Annual Circular Packaging Conference 2023, leaders delved into the pivotal role of policies and regulations in fostering waste circularity, marking a significant step in Kenya’s initiatives toward effective waste management and circular practices.
Kenya has taken significant strides in policy formulation, particularly through the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022, mandating producers to take full accountability for the entire life cycle of waste.
This responsibility can either be managed directly by the producers or delegated to producer responsibility organizations (PROs).
In a concerted effort to foster comprehension of legal requisites and generate viable solutions, the Kenya Extended Producer Organization (KEPRO) partnered with the Danish Institute (DI) to orchestrate a conference. The event featured panel discussions centered on sustainable waste management.
Dr. Ayub Macharia, Director Enforcement, NEMA, emphasized the necessity for producers to align with producer responsibility organizations (PROs) for the collection and efficient management of waste.
Dr. Macharia stated, “We aim to eliminate non-compliant producers who have not engaged with PROs and are not adhering to the new legislation. Collaboratively with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, our aim is to heighten awareness and ensure zero waste is irresponsibly disposed into the environment.”
The role of PROs stands pivotal in sustainably managing the waste produced by manufacturers, collaborating extensively with recyclers nationwide.
James Odongo, Chief Administrative Officer of KEPRO, highlighted the significance of joint efforts with recycling entities and stakeholders, stressing the importance of investment in awareness campaigns to swiftly instigate the adoption of sustainable lifestyles.
A crucial element in behavioral transformation lies in regarding waste as a resource, fostering a culture of segregation at the source itself.
Henry Ochieng, President of Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA), outlined their organization’s endeavors in partnering with select residential estates to pilot a model aimed at understanding prevalent practices, waste types, and challenges in household waste management.
Ochieng emphasized, “Our goal is to ensure that those engaged in recycling derive value from household waste collection. Additionally, those utilizing waste for product creation should find a market within the same locality.”
These efforts align with recent legislation mandating citizens to segregate waste at its source, a shift from previous county-led waste management practices to a focus on waste recovery rather than mere dumping.
Dr. Macharia urged counties to restructure dumpsites, advocating for spaces dedicated to already sorted waste, steering away from the conventional mixed waste dumpsites.
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