Innovators are critical components in generating of wealth from waste

The government has declared plastic pollution a global menace which is one of the most pressing environmental issues.

Environment and climate change principal secretary Festus Ng’eno disclosed that annually over 12 metric tonnes of plastics ended up along the Indian Ocean ecosystem.

He pointed out in sub-Saharan Africa plastic waste has posed the biggest challenge with over 17 million metric tonnes of plastic waste generated annually.

“Only 12 percent of plastic waste is recycled,” he pointed out.

Ng’eno said the government is looking for a suitable strategy on waste management aimed at generation of wealth from the waste.

He was speaking during the Africa-Plastics awards ceremony organized by Challenge Works held at Weston Hotel in Nairobi County.

The Principal Secretary insisted innovators are critical components in government strategy into the one year on EBI regulation.

Ng’eno said some plastic waste is either burned or dumped with a large quantity finding its way into the rivers, streams and lakes.

He added that according to research the yearly economic cost for plastics which get into the ocean is estimated to be between 6 to 19 billion US dollars from tourism and fishing activities and agriculture.

”In the country alone 37 metric tonnes of plastic get into the Indian Ocean annually causing devastating destruction in the marine ecosystem,” he disclosed.

The PS lauded the event’s theme saying it is in line with the government’s bottom-up economic plan.

Ng’eno told the forum that they are aware of the government plan which is to empower the bottom of the pyramid.

“It is indeed the government’s strategy on sustainable waste management as you are looking for generation of wealth from the waste,” he pointed out.

Speaking at the ceremony Director of International
Development at Challenge Works Jonathan Slater said there is a big plastics pollution problem in Africa “It is difficult to provide an exact figure for the current marine plastic waste in the continent as data on this is often incomplete or outdated,” he said.

He however said it is known that Africa is a major contributor to global marine plastic pollution, with an estimated 17 million tons of plastic waste generated annually in the continent.

“Much of which ends up in the oceans,” he added.

Launched in July 2021, the Afri-Plastics Challenge received 1,141 entries from innovators across the region.

 Meanwhile, nine innovative Kenyan startups are competing to win over Ksh 600 million in funding at the Afri-Plastics Challenge.

The winners were announced at the Afri-Plastics Summit and awards ceremony held in Nairobi.

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