Plastic manufacturers have been told to solely bear responsibility for the management of the rising volumes of waste in the environment associated with their production with just 8 percent of the 1 million tons of plastic generated annually, being recycled.
Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Principal Secretary, Eng. Festus Ng’eno, said plastic producers have no option but to fully implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to the last mile, ensuring comprehensive waste management from production to disposal. The EPR for plastic waste management requires that producers, importers, and brand owners are legally and financially responsible for the entire lifecycle of their plastic packaging, including collection, recycling, and final disposal.
The EPR framework is designed to make producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, from design to end-of-life disposal, in line with the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022
Speaking during the official launch of the Plastic Circular Investment Initiative – a new effort aimed at fostering plastic pricing mechanisms – the PS reiterated that the EPR is a policy that shifts the burden from the counties to the private sector to promote sustainable design, reduce pollution, and encourage recycling.
“We generate close to 1 million tons of plastic waste annually, of which only a small share is captured and recycled,” Eng. Ng’eno said, maintaining that it is not the responsibility of the government to fund initiatives such as collection and recycling of plastic products, but a task that squarely lies in the manufacturer’s hands.
However, he told plastic producers that they have another option of paying the government to do the job, if they are not able to.
“So we are saying, then pay us the fee through EPR, so that the government can help you collect,” he stated, cautioning that the government will hold responsible companies that are not able to manage their plastic products in the hands of end users.
The Coca Cola Company’s Nairobi Bottlers plant has a production capacity of 900,000 PET bottles per day, following a 2020 investment to boost local production of plastic-bottled products.
An audit of 12,288 plastic bottles by Clean Up Kenya across the country found that 41.27 percent were associated with The Coca-Cola Company, making it the leading plastic producer and by extension, polluter in the country. In addition to the 0.9 million preforms mentioned, another report indicated a capacity for at least 850,000 plastic bottles per day for specific bottling units, for example the Equator Bottlers.
The company has invested billions of shillings in new bottling lines, such as a Sh1.3 billion line that can fill 28,000 bottles per hour, often doubling previous capacities.
“Otherwise, Coca-Cola, go and clean up your mess, that’s what it means,” the PS instructed.
He regretted that whereas pollution rates stand at approximately 27 percent, recycling remains around 8 percent, meaning that the remainder from 1 million tons generated annually, often ends up in landfills or in the natural environment. “This is affecting urban and rural ecosystems alike,” Eng. Ng’eno said, revealing that the government is exploring strategies of dealing the issue of plastic pollution even as the products choke the Nairobi River.
The PS lauded the new initiative, saying it comes at a decisive moment in Kenya’s transition toward a modern, accountable, and investment-driven circular economy.
The Plastic Circular Investment Initiative is themed; Accelerating Plastic Pricing and Financing Mechanisms in Kenya.
He noted that plastic pollution is a global crisis with conventional estimates indicating that over 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually of which a significant proportion is never recycled and instead accumulating in landfills, ecosystems, and waterways.
“Despite the growing awareness and policy efforts, current investment flows into plastic circularity remain far below what is required.
“Therefore, if we are to meet our statutory recycling targets under the EPR Regulations, we must move beyond compliance to capital mobilization. Public funding alone cannot finance the scale of infrastructure required,” he noted, emphasizing that evidence-based pricing instruments, supported by reliable data and structured financing models, will enhance efficiency while safeguarding environmental integrity.
The PS said there is need to advocate for private investment, develop bankable project models, strengthen fee-setting methodologies and enhance digital traceability and reporting systems.
Global Investment in plastics circularity has averaged around Sh4 trillion (USD 32 billion) annually, yet this is only a fraction of the estimated over USD 100 billion needed by 2030 to scale circular solutions.
Emerging economies, including those in Africa, have historically received only about 6 percent of these investments despite bearing disproportionate impacts from plastic pollution.
