Plastic bag ban will only work with a dose of realism

I was only a few hours old in this foreign land, England, and everything seemed strange.

I entered a supermarket close to my hotel. I picked some snacks and joined a queue leading to a cashier.

SHOCK

When my turn came, my items were scanned but in what seemed like eternity, they just lay on the counter.

I expected the cashier to pack the shopping for me in a free plastic bag like I was used to in Kenyan supermarkets.

So with all confidence, I asked him what was wrong to which he replied: “you need to buy a plastic bag, and then pack them yourself.”

At that point, the shoppers in the queue were staring at me like I was some kind of alien.

10 PENCE

“Take one from behind there,” the cashier said, pointing to where the plastic bags were displayed for sale.

I was shocked. I now had to pay for carrier bags in supermarkets?

I took the polyethene, paid for it, packed my stuff and left the supermarket still in shock.

The non-biodegradable bags go for 10p (approximately Sh14 at the current exchange rate).

Days later, I learnt the UK had introduced a policy to reduce the use of plastic bags to protect the environment.

The rule was also meant to encourage more people to use reusable carriers such as morsbags when shopping.

EYESORE

I finally understood the genesis of my supermarket shock and I started wishing Kenya would adopt such a policy.

Plastic bags have created a big mess in this country.

Streets and estates of major towns in the East African economic powerhouse, including the capital Nairobi, are eyesores— courtesy of dirty, non-biodegradable plastic bags flying around.

We have seen them block drainage, causing unnecessary floods in estates such as South C.

They can be spotted floating on our rivers such as Nairobi River— chocking and polluting them.

They also suck life out of fish in the ocean where they finally end up.

Such a policy would discourage Kenyans from wanting to carry as many plastic bags as possible from supermarkets.

20 BAGS

It is shocking that a single shopper can leave a supermarket with as many as 20 plastic bags yet the country lacks a proper disposal mechanism.

But on March 14, we got something even better. More than what I had hoped for.

On that day, Environment Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu imposed a ban on the use, importation and manufacture of all plastic bags as from September 1, 2017.

The ban, according the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema), applies to all carrier bags with handles and with or without gussets.

Also banned are flat bags without handles and with or without gussets.

NAUGHT

I can’t stop imagining what that dirty street in Nairobi will look like if this ban is followed through and plastic bags become a thing of the past.

But even with this excitement, I am reminded that the transition may not be smooth because similar efforts in the past yielded naught.

Kenya has tried banning plastic bags thrice— in 2007, 2011 and 2016— in vain.

A close examination of these failures reveals that the bans failed because of opposition from manufacturers, poor public reception and the fact that only plastic bags of specific thickness had been outlawed, hence it was hard to implement the policies. 

The last obstacle has been removed this time because all carrier bags are being outlawed, except flat bags used for industrial packaging. 

However, we still have the first two challenges to deal with.

SH5.6 BILLION

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has already voiced its displeasure with the latest ban, saying it will lead to massive job losses.

The Sh5.6-billion-a-year plastic bag industry, according to KAM, employs some 60,000 Kenyans directly and 400,000 indirectly in 176 companies.

That is true and valid, especially in a country where youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb.

But I also encourage the association to spot the opportunities in this ban— maybe instead of manufacturing plastic bags, manufacture something else? Like cloth bags, or even get creative with water hyacinth chocking Lake Victoria, sisal, papyrus reeds or banana leftovers?

There is also paper. But I don’t recommend it as Kenya’s forest cover is already under serious threat.

AWARENESS

Plastic bags ban was received very well by the elite but I don’t think the average Kenyan gives a hoot about it. 

It’s not that they don’t like it, but they still cannot see why the good minister would ban these carriers.

As such, aggressive public sensitisation is needed to garner more public support.

And instead of just banning these bags, the Environment ministry should also provide alternatives.

Plastic bags are part of everyday life of most average Kenyans and leaving without options means they will either resist the policy or choose to ignore it.

Mama mboga, for example, depends so much on the plastic bag in her business. Is there an alternative for her starting September 1?  Until she has an alternative, she will not support the ban.

EAC PEERS

It would be great to sit in a bubble and pretend that these challenges do not exist.

But they do, and need to be addressed.

If not addressed properly, there’s a risk of emergence of a black market for plastic bags where they will be smuggled in from neighbouring countries.

Unlike Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania are still grappling with carrier-bag menace and unscrupulous traders will easily sneak them into the country with the blessing of corruption.

This will defeat the purpose of the ban. And we don’t want that.

I hope plastic bags will disappear from the streets of Nairobi but I know this will need, among other things, a dose of realism.

Ms Maroma, a 2017 graduate of University of Leicester, is an Environmental Analyst.