THE 1ST NATIONAL PET FORUM HELD.

The-Director-of-Awareness-in-the-Ministry-Dr.-Ayub-Macharia-with-other-panelists-during-the-high-level-policy-dialogue-during-the-PET-Forum-at-the-KICC..jpg

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, is in the process of finalizing the Waste Management Bill and Policy, that will commit the Government to put in place measures to reduce the amount of waste generated and ensure the waste is re-used, recycled and recovered in an environmentally manner, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Keriako Tobiko has said.

In remarks made on his behalf by the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry, Hon. Mohamed Elmi, during the official opening of the first National Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Forum at the KICC, Nairobi, Mr. Tobiko observed that, the PET Forum was intended to explore additional take back scheme arrangements, that could be developed to enable our Country to embrace all plastic sector players in an effort to ensure that, every producer or user of PET bottles is bound into a take back and extended producer responsibility arrangement, observing that, take back schemes have been successful in other countries and as such, encouraged industry players to work in consultation with those countries as a benchmark , in order to achieve the same in Kenya.

Noting that the PET Forum marked a significant milestone in addressing the waste management challenge facing our Country, Mr. Tobiko said that, after banning the plastic bags, the Government felt the need to upscale this initiative by addressing pollution by PET bottles.

PET is popularly used for packaging food and beverages, pharmaceutical and personal care products due to their inert and shatterproof nature. PET is also light weight and is therefore easier to transport. However, public concern has been raised regarding pollution associated with their improper disposal due to their non-bio degradable nature, especially when littered indiscriminately on land and in water bodies.

Chief Administrative Secretary, Min. of Env & Forestry, Hon. Mohamed Elmi, during a media conference, after opening the 1st National PET Forum at the KICC. He is flanked by the Director of Awareness, NEMA. JPG