Kepro: Climate change mitigation requires right attitude, recycling more

Kenyans have been told the effects of climate change on normal day to day life will continue unless there is change of attitude and proper waste management.

Kenya Extended Producers Responsibility Organisation (Kepro) officers, who were conducting an awareness creation to stakeholders involved in the waste management sector within eight(8) counties, said 90 percent of byproducts are from recycled waste.

The targetted counties in the exercise carried out this week included Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Isiolo, Murang'a, Embu, Kirinyaga, and Nyeri.

Kepro Operations Officer Isaiah Mumo said Kenya has the potential of recycling only nine(9) percent of wastes dropped by different actors in the society.

"This is our sixth region where we are conducting sensitisation. We must embrace ‘my waste, my responsibility slogan’, where everyone must be responsible by safe collection, sorting and safe recycling of waste for clean and healthier environment," Mr Mumo said.

He noted that there has been poor capacity building and lack of awareness to link waste management apparatus.

He said that despite Kepro having recycled over 15,000 metric tonnes of flexible polyethene for the last three years, the challenge has been lack of data on none hazardous products.

The Meru Municipal Manager Gitobu Nkanata said there must be bahaviour change on waste management especially among the urban dwellers.

"We are faced with enormous challenge of transporting waste to a cost of Sh7 million per year used on fuel. People should change their attitude especially throwing waste anyhow and they should stop burning waste within the town," Nkanata said.

Ms Jedidah Kanana, a representative of the Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers in Eastern region said most of the diseases human beings are contracting, emanate from poor waste disposal.

"The weather pattern has been affected greatly. On our farms, crops grow with acid due to hazardous products thrown into the farms. County governments must embrace good waste management parameters," Ms Kanana said.