{"id":98344,"date":"2017-07-21T02:47:47","date_gmt":"2017-07-21T00:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/why-adopting-biodegradable-plastic-bags-in-kenya-may-not-work-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2017-07-21T02:47:47","modified_gmt":"2017-07-21T00:47:47","slug":"why-adopting-biodegradable-plastic-bags-in-kenya-may-not-work-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/why-adopting-biodegradable-plastic-bags-in-kenya-may-not-work-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"Why adopting biodegradable plastic bags in Kenya may not work | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why adopting biodegradable plastic bags in Kenya may not work<\/a>: <\/p>\n

Adopting biodegradable bags will take a shift in mindset.<\/span> Shutterstock<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s been a great deal of contention and debate in Kenya over what should be used to replace plastic bags following the country\u2019s announcement that it\u2019s banning them.<\/p>\n

One possible substitute is biodegradable plastic bags. Over the last 25 years plastics that are easily biodegradable have increasingly been seen as a more environment-friendly alternative to conventional plastic packaging. Their use has slowly gained prominence in a number of developed countries. <\/p>\n

But, at the moment, a number of factors stand in the way of this approach being successful in Kenya. Two in particular stand out: Kenya\u2019s biodegradable plastic bag sector isn\u2019t ready to produce the range of bags currently available, and the distribution points \u2013 mainly supermarkets \u2013 don\u2019t make sense for most Kenyans. My research found that only about 42.5% urban Kenyans shop in supermarkets. The majority shop in open air markets. <\/p>\n

The country has been here before: nearly 10 years ago it set down rules about how thin bags had to be, and imposed a heavy excise duty. The effect wasn\u2019t what the government had hoped for. Instead, high costs, poor performance, a lack of manufacturing capabilities and local perceptions have all prevented them from taking root. <\/p>\n

If the biodegradable route is going to work the Kenyan government needs to do a lot more to support it. <\/p>\n

Kenya has been here before<\/h2>\n

Biodegradable plastic bags have been on the scene in Kenya since 2008, when the government imposed a ban on the manufacture of bags less than 30 micron thick and instituted an excise duty of 120%. Due to concerted lobbying by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, this ban was later abandoned. <\/p>\n

While the initiatives were initially greeted with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement, it didn\u2019t last. The impact on the packing industry was severe. Most producers couldn\u2019t keep up with the change. Over time, Packaging Industries Limited, one of country\u2019s main plastic bag producers, became the sole producer of biodegradable plastic bags to be used as shopping bags.<\/p>\n

But the company could only produce three different bag sizes, sold between USD$ 0.5 and USD$ 1 per bag compared to the regular plastic bags that are given freely. They were supplied to just one retail outlet in Kenya. This is still the situation today. <\/p>\n

The result was that the anticipated shift in favour of biodegradable plastic bags didn\u2019t happen. <\/p>\n

There are several reasons for this. <\/p>\n

More than half of Kenya\u2019s urban shoppers buy their food in open markets. Yet supermarkets are the only point of contact with consumers for biodegradable bags. Exposure to them has only been for a small percentage of consumers \u2013 those that shop at supermarkets and, in particular, those who shop at Kenya\u2019s Nakumatt Holding. <\/p>\n

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Only about 42.5% urban Kenyans shop in supermarkets. The majority shop in open air markets.<\/span> AIDSVaccine<\/span><\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even among this cohort of shoppers, very few use biodegradable plastic bags. My research showed that only 1.6% of supermarket shoppers have ever bought a biodegradable plastic bag. <\/p>\n

Why?<\/h2>\n

There could be several reasons for this low adoption. <\/p>\n

The first is cost. Biodegradable plastic bags are expensive for most Kenyans. The cost of the smallest size bag is equivalent to a 400g piece of bread. The price is unlikely to come down as the government doesn\u2019t set unit prices and production isn\u2019t subsidised. <\/p>\n

Secondly, choices are limited. The bags only come in three sizes which is very limiting for consumers. <\/p>\n

Thirdly, their use would require a major change in shopping habits. This is a real barrier. For example, my research showed that only 20% of the shoppers I interviewed remembered to carry an old bag for reuse on their next shopping trip. <\/p>\n

Fourthly, there are concerns over the life span, or degradability, of the bags manufactured in Kenya. My research shows that local bags currently referred to as biodegradable, only degrade between 40%-60%, instead of completely, after 90 days of being subjected to composting. <\/p>\n

Another factor getting in the way of uptake is that the production of biodegradable plastic is very low \u2013 across the world. Current global production is around 350,000 tons \u2013 less than 0.2% of the production of petrochemical-based plastics. <\/p>\n

One of the reasons for this is that biodegradable plastics are more expensive to produce because of the extra steps required in the process.<\/p>\n

What needs to be done<\/h2>\n

The Kenyan government could take a number of steps to jump start the culture of using biodegradable plastic bag. These include: <\/p>\n