Page 28 - Plastics News June - 2020

UK Government called on to ban “oxo- Kenya bans single-use plastics in protected areas
degradable” plastics
enya, on World Environment Day on June 5, barred
letter signed by a coalition of trade associations Kall single-use plastics such as water bottles and
Ahas been sent to Environment Secretary George
straws from its national parks, beaches, forests and
Eustice, calling a ban on oxo-degradable plastics in the
other protected areas. The implementation of the ban,
first announced a year ago, was ordered in a letter from
Tourism Minister Najib Balala last week. It took effect
three years after Kenya announced one of the world's
strictest bans on plastic bags."This ban is yet another
first in addressing the plastic pollution catastrophe
facing Kenya and the world, and we hope that it
catalyses similar policies and actions from the East
African community," Balala said in a statement. Prior to
the coronavirus outbreak, Kenya welcomed some two
million tourists annually to see the Big Five animals in
its national parks or visit its stunning coastline. The ban
was welcomed by environmentalist Dipesh Pabari, who
led a project to make the world's first sailing boat made
entirely of plastic waste, which sailed 500km along the
coast from Kenya to Tanzania in 2019 to raise awareness
about plastic pollution. "We have witnessed the

UK .The letter to Environment Secretary George
Eustice is calling for a “total ban” on the use, sale and
distribution in the UK of conventional non-
biodegradable plastics containing additives, which
“accelerate the fragmentation of plastics into micro
plastics”. The EU's Single Use Plastics Directive
prohibits the placing on the market of single-use
plastic products made from oxo-degradable plastic,
and the coalition is calling on the UK to maintain this
regulation as it leaves the EU. The letter cites evidence
from Defra and the EU refuting the claim that oxo-
degradable additives can transform polyolefin plastics
into biodegradable plastics, as they merely accelerate
the fragmentation of plastics into micro plastics.
Further evidence from the University of Plymouth in catastrophic effect single-use plastics have on our
2019 found that oxo-degradable bags actually
remained intact in the sea and soil after three years, ecosystems and our communities," Pabari said in a
according to the Bio-based and Biodegradable statement. "And now, during the pandemic, we are
Industries Association (BBIA), which is a signatory on witnessing first-hand what happens when we destroy
the letter. BBIA says these plastics are also unable to be our planet, which is that we destroy the system that
recycled as they contain powders that render plastic supports human life." Like much of the world, where
polymers unstable when recycled together, while they
are also unable to be composted, leading to confusion plastic bottles, caps, food wrappers, bags, straws and
among consumers and retailers who consider them lids are made to be used once and then tossed away,
biodegradable as if they were compostable. A wide Kenya is battling the curse of plastic pollution, which
coalition of signatories led by the Ellen Macarthur chokes turtles, cattle and birds and blights the
Foundation called for a ban in 2017 and reiterated that landscape.
call in 2018. The UK coalition again reiterates the call
to ban oxo-degradables.

June 2020 28 Plastics News