Nairobi City County Plastic Control (Amendment) Bill, 2021

It a proposed Bill in the Nairobi County Assembly banning food and food products wrapped in plastic bags

If this bill is passed, Nairobi occupants risk a fine of Sh4 million fine or face a four-year jail term or both if found with the single used utensils used for food and food products takeaways.

This will be a boost to the existing ban on single-use plastic bags and ban of plastics in our national parks

The ban has so far helped eliminate the notorious plastic bags that could be easily be spotted on trees, clogging the drainages, inside livestock stomachs, among others.

Although we are yet to fully enjoy this ban, as we still have these single-use plastic bags in our midst. This is mainly because, our neighboring countries are yet to ban them, and people have been sneaking them in. People have continued being arrested, although we have are yet to see the manufacturers getting arrested.

People are still adapting eco-friendly alternatives, offering youth and others opportunities to create them. And make a living other f their sale.

The bags that were excepted are still a problem, as the recycling plans are not being fully followed through. And only exists on papers. They continue to indicate in the bags, but this doesn’t happen. We hope that they will either find eco-friendly alternatives or ensure their plastic bags go back to them successfully. Provide drop-off points.

June last year, our president banned any plastic from our national parks. They were starting to be a problem, as people could carelessly dispose of them off. Which were later consumed by some wildlife.

#AfricaIsNotADumpster may be possible

This is because the Bill proposes further provides that no person shall manufacture, import, export use, or offer for sale plastic carrier bags and plastic bags unless authorized by the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema).

People in Nairobi should take this opportunity once it gets to us during public participation, to help it pass. Maybe it will help back to the glory of Green City in the sun.

Conclusion

Let us hope that this bill passes and become a law.

These packages are still a problem to our environment and need addressing like yesterday.

It also offers these eateries an opportunity to be creative around their packaging and contribute positively to mother nature. We already have some coffee houses selling reusable mugs and flasks to their clients.

They should now have food containers and wrappings that don’t harm the environment.

Just like the single-plastic bags ban, it may look hard at the beginning. But once implemented, we will adapt to the required products.

Plastic pollution remains a pain in our flesh, and we need to continue working on ways that provide eco-friendly alternatives.

Being a plastic-free July, this will be great news if it passes to be a law.