Page 34 - Plastics News September 2017

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ISRI questions China's Kenya implements New Law

tightening of waste import Against Plastic Bags

standards
enya implemented one of the world's toughest
Kplastic shopping bag bans, with potential jail time
he Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries is warning
for making and importing the bags, as the government
Tthat another aspect of China's crackdown on imports
sought to crack down on what it sees as a signifi cant
of materials for recycling amounts to a defacto ban on
source of pollution.The law, which the government
such trade. China's Ministry of Environmental Protection
said makes it "illegal to use, import and manufacture
is proposing reducing the threshold for contaminants
plastic carrier bags," attracted widespread media
in bales of material for recycling to 0.3 percent, but
coverage, with Kenya's environment ministry posting
Washington-based ISRI is calling that an impossible
standard. "The application of this [0.3 percent] standard photos of its inspectors visiting local markets and
will effectively result in a ban on the importation of all confiscating bags. Kenyans producing, selling or
even using plastic bags will risk imprisonment of up
to four years or fi nes of $40,000 effective August
28, as the world’s toughest law aimed at reducing
plastic pollution came into effect. The East African
nation joins more than 40 other countries that have
banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic
bags, including China, France, Rwanda, and Italy.
Judy Wakhungu, Kenya’s environment minister,
said enforcement would initially be directed at
manufacturers and suppliers. “Ordinary wananchi will
not be harmed,” she told Reuters, using a Kiswahili
these commodities," said Robin Weiner, ISRI president, word for “common man”. It took Kenya three attempts
in a letter to China's MEP. "It is simply not possible to over ten years to fi nally pass the ban, and not everyone
achieve such a control level, nor is it possible to even is a fan. Samuel Matonda, spokesman for the Kenya
measure it with such accuracy." MEP's proposed changes
in its technical standards come as part of China's broader
crackdown on imports, including dramatically stepped-
up inspections and enforcement at ports and in Chinese
recycling factories. China has announced plans to ban
signifi cant amounts of imported plastic scrap by year-
end, but ISRI's response suggests the MEP's rule on its
own could have a very large impact, independent of
broader actions. ISRI said most loads of plastic and paper
exported for recycling have between 1 and 5 percent of
so-called "carried waste," and it said that level has been
derived from open deliberations within the recycling
Association of Manufacturers, said it would cost 60,000
industry and end users of the material in processing
jobs and force 176 manufacturers to close. Kenya is
and manufacturing factories. The group said that 1 to
a major exporter of plastic bags to the region. "The
5 percent level is contained in its Scrap Specifi cations
knock-on effects will be very severe," Matonda said.
Circular, which it said has been in use for 80 years. ISRI
"It will even affect the women who sell vegetables
also raised questions about other parts of MEP's proposed
in the market - how will their customers carry their
changes to its technical standards, including raising the
shopping home?" Big Kenyan supermarket chains like
threshold needed for metal scrap in electrical appliances.
France's Carrefour and Nakumatt have already started
It also requested more time to analyze MEP's proposed
offering customers cloth bags as alternatives.
new standards for allowable radiation levels.
Plastics News | September 2017 34