Reuse and Waste Reduction Potential of Reusable Lightweight Plastic Bags in Kenya

Kenya adopted a single-use plastic bag (SUPB) ban in 2017. Prior to the ban, 138 SUPB capita− 1 y− 1 were consumed. The lightweight reusable non-woven polypropylene (NWPP) bag has been adopted as the preferred alternative carrier bag. We used a life cycle assessment approach to assess the environmental impacts including associated global warming potential (GHG) to project reuse and waste reduction potential from this policy shift based on local carrier bag preference and current and future waste management scenarios. About 60% of GHG and fossil resources potential is associated with production and importation of plastic granulates in the country while ten environment impacts are mainly contributed by bag production and distribution in the country based on cradle to gate system boundary. Reusing NWPP bags 38 times offsets the 18 environmental footprints studied, an equivalence of four bags capita− 1 y− 1 and reduces annual waste from 63, 293 tonnes to 2,560 tonnes. At 25% nationwide compliance where consumers buy new bags 75% of shopping trips, waste generated from reusable bags exceed previous waste generated from SUPB. Environmental education through awareness campaigns is important to enhance reuse as a consistent behavior to reduce reusable bag’s environmental burden and achieve waste reduction. The study further recommends improvements in material sourcing, consistent electricity supply from already existing renewable energy infrastructure and adoption of cleaner vehicles in the supply chain to lower the environmental burden of reusable bag production.