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Who should be responsible for plastic waste management?
Every single human being requires products for personal or commercial use. These products are always packaged using different materials based on industry standards and economics. Similarly, manufacturers of these products are required to be present in the economy to satisfy the needs of the market.
Considering the interdependence of consumers on products and the manufacturer having to fulfill this need, both the consumer and manufacturer should be responsible for plastic waste management.
How can this rationale be justified?
According to IUCN Report 2020, when participants to a survey they conducted were asked where is the most appropriate leverage point for addressing plastic waste? The participants expressed that the leverage points with the best mitigating impact are production (34%) and end of life (33%), while retail and consumer use (22%) and Trade and Transport (11%) were less favored.
This article will focus on providing mechanisms under which manufacturers can be held accountable for the waste they generate through manufacturing and introducing products in the market.
Manufacturers in Kenya are increasingly leveraging plastic packaging due to the ease of access to the material used in manufacturing plastics. Common materials used are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), HDPE, LDPE, and PP. To foster circularity of plastic waste, manufacturers should consider the design of packaging material leaning more towards reusable products. This is an achievable goal if manufacturers under the umbrella body Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) have the good will. There are several products that should never be introduced into a market in a single use packaging such us cleaning products, electronics, clothing, fertilizers, oils, and any other products that is not susceptible to contamination when refilled. KoKo Networks refillable ethanol can is a perfect example of how a well-designed product packaging can save reduce environmental impact and costs associated with packaging materials.
Embedding circularity in product design is an imperative to sustainably managing waste in the country. Manufacturers should take product design leverage as the first line of defense against environmental pollution and as a means to show good will in managing waste especially plastics and electronics of all forms. National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and KAM should coordinate and encourage manufacturers to adapt circularity especially reuse of packaging material for products that are in constant demand and require frequent replenishing such as food, cosmetics, cleaning products and electronics.
Is recycling really the solution?
Most manufacturers will argue that their packaging materials are recyclable, what they don’t tell you is that recycling is a very expensive and resource intensive activity and that is why not many businesses invest in recycling and those that do are struggling to mobilize funds to invest in quality equipment and practices. For example, because waste in Kenya is not segregated at source, once plastics are collected from the mixed waste or dump sites, they have to be sorted, cleaned and pelletized for recycling. These three activities require labor, water and electricity which further puts pressure on natural resources especially water and energy.
What are the benefits of embedding circularity in product design?
Well, major benefits of circularity are environmental conservation of our eco-system services and biodiversity, reduced packaging and recycling costs in the long run.
It is highly recommended that progressive measures towards achieving circularity should be focused on environmentally friendly product design that encourages packaging material reuse. Manufacturers should commit to this approach if they indeed care about doing the right thing for our environment.
