The government plans to introduce a colour-coded garbage segregation system as part of its efforts to address waste management issues and reduce pollution in the Nairobi River.
The initiative, part of the National Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022, will require households to separate their waste into three distinct bags: green for organic waste, blue for dry recyclables, and red for hazardous materials.
Speaking in Baku, Azerbaijan, where climate talks – COP29 – are taking place, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Aden Duale, outlined the new measures, outlining the government’s vision for a cleaner and more sustainable Nairobi.
“Everyone pays for their trash, am I right?” He brought up. “You should know the person who collects your trash. The person who collects trash from your house should know where to throw it,” he added.
Under the new system, waste collection trucks will be required to follow specific routes and bring their loads to designated material recovery facilities, which will handle waste processing according to the type of material.
Meanwhile, Mr. Duale rejected the widespread perception that informal settlements are a major source of pollution in the Nairobi River, saying the real polluters are individuals who, because of their financial resources, can buy new goods frequently, thus generating more waste. .
He pointed out that this trend among middle- and upper-class residents, who have higher purchasing power, leads to increased waste production and ultimately contributes significantly to river pollution. He added that industries and private waste collectors contribute significantly to pollution.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) recently determined that more than 90 percent of pollution in Nairobi’s rivers stems from industries, slaughterhouses and poorly managed sewage systems.
According to NEMA, 145 facilities along the Nairobi River Basin discharge industrial effluent into the river, often due to faulty or absent effluent treatment plants.
Mr Duale confirmed that the facilities had been issued with restoration orders, adding that the government was taking a firm stance on compliance. “If you have a factory, you have to explain where and whether you are placing a rich system. I think now they are all complying with our conditions,” the CS said.
Non-compliant industries risk closure.
The government’s waste management efforts also include a job creation program targeting youth along Nairobi’s rivers.
Mr Duale confirmed that the initiative currently employs about 11,000 young people, with plans to increase this number to 20,000 and eventually expand to other cities and provinces.
“We’ll go to the other five cities in December, and then move on to other counties.”
The National Sustainable Waste Management Act aims to shift Nairobi towards a circular economy, a model in which waste is reduced to a minimum and materials are reused or recycled rather than disposed of.
According to Mr. Duale, this approach will help reduce waste in landfills and make better use of resources, especially in Nairobi where waste management challenges have escalated.
“We must shift to a circular economy, where part of the garbage can be recycled,” he said.
Responding to Mr Duale’s statement, Helen Dina of Greenpeace Africa said: “Only about nine percent of plastic has been recycled since the 1950s. Companies have irresponsibly shifted the burden of dealing with the failure of their distribution design to consumers.” For a very long time.
The government hopes that colour-coded bins in public places will make it easier for residents to separate waste at the source.