National Environmental Management Authority has set record for taking bold step to curb massive environmental pollution emanating from use of plastic bags. This affirms its ability to ensure sound environmental stewardship by ensuring right policies and guidelines are in place. The bans which come to effect on 28th August 2017 beckons a great future for clean, safe and sound environment however the ball is in the enforcement court to ensure the ban taking root accordingly
Plastic products have been used for industrial and household packaging for decades and their bag will have significant impact in days to come. In industries plastic bags have formed the core of packaging for the household consumable items, shopping malls, retail shops and supermarkets are the main distributors of the plastics bags to the end users. Once at the end user, plastic bags which are non-biodegradable pose disposal challenge and end up in the available disposal channels including dumpsite and compost pits. Due to their light weight they are easily brown by wind are there pollution of mammoth proportion starts.
Effects of plastic bags to the pollution
Once deposited to the environment, plastic bags find their way to the water supply and drainage systems whereby the clog the supply leading to disconnection of utility supplies and pollution once drainage system has been clogged. There removal is costly in time and monetary value. Sewage blockage escalates to health threat as other diseases associated with poor sewage disposal crops up. Plastic bags either lead to soil infertility, once the bags find their way to arable land; they affect moisture and nutrition supplies for the crops resulting to reduced yield. Livestock, wildlife and aquatic life are at danger of poor plastic bag disposal at they end up in their digestive system resulting to poor health which can result to death. Plastic bags poorly disposed creates are unpleasant scenery and breeding ground for disease transmitting insect such as mosquito as water accumulates in the inside the bags.
By affecting the ban on the use of plastic, National Environmental Management Authority has rededicated its efforts in ensuring health environment for all is a right and not a privilege and deserves ululations and praise and not criticism
Long live NEMA
Andrew Muendo Nyamu, Project officer Agriculture Innovations and Climate Change
Inades Formation Kenya
