The Flipflopi Project, ALN Kenya and Sustainable Inclusive Business today launched a report uncovering the need to adopt streamlined legislation to manage plastic pollution throughout the East African Community (EAC). The report is dubbed; ‘East Africans: Let’s Unite for Change’.
The goal of the report is to promote a better understanding of existing Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) regulations and lay the groundwork for the adoption of streamlined legislation and collaborative action within the EAC to regulate plastics production, support waste management, and eliminate unnecessary SUPs at a regional level. The report outlines the current state of affairs of the policies, regulations, and laws that address the harmful effects of SUPs in East Africa.
The report highlights the existing efforts the EAC has taken to combat plastic pollution and is timely in its release as it comes before the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2). The assembly held in Nairobi from February 28th to March 3rd, 2022 provides a unique opportunity for governments to commit to the establishment of a UN global treaty on plastic pollution that the world has been calling for.
“The report explores the policies and regulations focused on protecting the environment or managing SUPs across Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, and aims to support increased understanding of the existing regulations, which would provide a foundation for aligned legislation at a regional level.” Noted Davina Ngei, from the Flipflopi, adding that “the issues examined include the adopted legislative and regulatory frameworks within the EAC, the progression of laws across each country, the successes, challenges, the lessons learned, and an overview of other regional and global regulations and treaties.” Read More
