On 5^th June 2023, SIB-K joined other partners in the celebration of World Environment Day held at the Nakuru National Park. The event was graced by H.E Hon. Susan Kihika, Governor Nakuru County; Hon. Soipan Tuya, CBS Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Forestry; Chief Guest CECM, Water, Environment, Energy, Climate Change & Natural Resources Dr. Nelson Maara; EBS Director General NEMA, Mamo B. Mamo, Coordinator AMCEN Secretariat, UNEP, David Ombisi; County Commissioner Mr. Loyford Kibaara; Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Ag. Director General, Dr. Erastus Kanga, HSC. among other dignitaries.

World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5^th each year following a global resolution of the UN General Assembly during the first world environment conference held in Stockholm in 1972. It’s a global platform for public outreach to raise awareness and action for the protection of the environment, with participation from over 143 countries annually. It serves as the main United Nations environmental outreach day and is supported by a wide range of enterprises, governments, and non-governmental organizations.

This year’s World Environment Day celebrations were held at Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru County. The theme “Solution for plastic pollution” under the campaign slogan #BeatPlasticPollution aims to reduce plastic waste. 22,000 Tons of waste are produced in Kenya daily; Plastic is one of the largest waste streams.  

In his opening remarks, the DG NEMA Mamo B. Mamo noted that the World Environment Day celebration kicked off with a Tree Planting drive at Ndondori Forest (a total of 10,000 seedlings) and a clean-up in Ndaragu River and its environs on 2^nd and 3^rd June 2023 respectively. He also thanked all the partners who contributed towards the success of the Pre-World Environment Day Dialogue and Circular Economy Expo held on 31^st May 2023 at KICC. He stated that the ministry’s focus is to push for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in a bid to beat plastic waste pollution. EPR rules state that plastic packaging producers should follow their product’s lifecycle and facilitate collection/recycling after its end of use.

In her welcome remarks, H.E Hon. Susan Kihika Governor of Nakuru County, stated that plastic pollution is one of the most pressing challenges that we are facing as a globe. Human activities continue to alter the balance of the natural ecosystem through pollution and deforestation, leading to climate change. In her remarks Hon. Soipan Tuya, CBS Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Forestry, noted that the World Environment Day theme “Solutions to plastic pollution” raises pertinent questions on how people interact with plastics, production, consumption, and disposal. She highlighted the need for targeted and sustained enforcement of the law on the ban on single-use plastics.

Adaption of legal instruments will help to close the loop and help sustain solutions to the global plastic menace. Kenya’s Solid Waste Management strategy which is in line with the country’s blueprint vision 2030 which requires counties to put in place efficient and sustainable waste management systems as the country develops into a new industrial state.

The development of the Solid Waste Management Policy, the Natural Marine Litter Action Plan, and the Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022, policies and legislation have the objective of promoting sustainable waste management and reducing material being disposed of in dumpsites. The goal is to improve the health of Kenya and ensure a clean and healthy environment by reducing land, air, freshwater, and marine pollution. This promotes and ensures the effective delivery of waste management services, creating an enabling environment for employment in a green economy through recycling and recovery. establish a sustainable waste management system, promote circular economy practices for green growth, and mainstream resource use efficiency principles in sustainable production and consumption practices.

This year’s World Environment Day under the campaign slogan #BeatPlasticPollution aims to create awareness about the negative impact of plastic waste on our environment and biodiversity. Fitting the theme, Kenya Plastics Pact (KPP) the initiative under Sustainable Inclusive Business-Kenya (SIB-K) was in attendance to exhibit and create awareness of the recently launched Design Guidelines for Recyclability; for PET and HDPE bottles and Jars at KICC during the Pre-World Environment Day Dialogue.

The Guidelines for Recyclability for PET and HDPE plastic bottles and jars outline the unnecessary additives that make plastics difficult to recycle or unrecyclable. This awareness-focused document aims to encourage the adaptation of reusable and recyclable plastic packaging by manufacturers and businesses, to enhance recyclability. Enforcement of EPR is in line with KPP’s goal of having a self-sustaining circular economy for the plastics value chain.