Page 52 - Plastics News July 2019

iNterNAtioNAL News

Kenya to ban single-use plastics Air New Zealand to accelerate

by 2020 removal of single-use plastic
products
resident Uhuru Kenyatta has banned the usage of single-
Puse plastic products in all protected areas as Kenya ir New Zealand has pledged to remove nearly 55
seeks to curb plastics hazard, just two years after the Amillion single-use plastic items from its operations
country banned the use of polythene carrier bags. Visitors this year, more than doubling its last annual total.As
to national parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas part of the Plastic Free July initiative, the national
will not be allowed airline has removed individual plastic water bottles
to carry disposable from its business premier and premium economy cabins,
plates, cups, straws, as well as from its works deluxe offering on Tasman and
spoons, forks and Pacific Island services. The move is expected to prevent
water bottles, which more than 460,000 bottles from reaching landfill each
ar e co nsidered year, while also cutting the airline’s annual carbon
major environmental emissions figure by over 300,000kg through reducing the
pollutants. weight carried on an aircraft. Individual plastic sauce
The ban, announced packets are currently being removed from Air New
in Canada where the Zealand’s business premier cabins on North America and
President addressed Hong Kong services, with the company planning to have
the opening plenary completely eliminated them from its global network by
of Day 3 of the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, will take October. This will stop around 200,000 plastic packets
effect on June 5, 2020. Plastics have become a major going to landfill every year. Reusable dishes will be
nuisance for the environment with many littering the introduced as an alternative form of serving sauce
to customers. Air New Zealand sustainability acting
oceans, forests and even blocking drainages. "Sustainable head Anna Palairet said: “Single-use plastic is a highly
environment is a guarantee to a healthy, better and topical and visible issue for us and our customers, so
productive society. And that is why women and girls who we’re really pleased to be able to share this progress
are key victims of unsustainable practices must own to celebrate Plastic Free July.“The lack of composting
this campaign as part of the gender equality campaign," infrastructure
President Kenyatta said. The President’s order comes just available in New
days after the National Environment Management Authority Zealand is a
(Nema) raised a red flag over the possible return on the use challenge, so we
of plastic bags. Kenya outlawed the use of plastics carrier have been focused
bags in 2016 and has been considering extending the ban on re ducing
to other single-use products. In 2017, Kenya joined 40 the amount of
other countries in the fight against ocean and sea pollution single-use plastic
as part of interventions to roll back the consequences pr o ducts we
of an increasingly polluted planetThe country signed to purchase in the
take part in the United Nations Environment #CleanSeas first place.“It’s great to see more and more customers
campaign that aims at countering the torrents of plastic are bringing their reusable drink bottles and keep
trash degrading oceans and seas and endangering the life cups on-board, and we encourage people to do this,
they sustain. The 40 countries within coastal lines, from our cabin crew team is happy to fill these.”Air New
Kenya to Indonesia and Canada to Brazil, account for more Zealand will also cease the use of plastic water cups
than half of the world’s coastline.They also committed from September, replacing them with recyclable
to fight against marine litter and ocean pollution, and alternatives. The following month, the airline will
announced measures including drives to increase recycling launch coffee cups made from plant-based materials
in their respective countries. across its domestic and international networks.

54
Plastics News July 2019 52