No disposable plastics: Kenya’s NO SUP USE campaign kicks off hospitality sector phaseout

KENYA – Kenya’s government has launched the NO SUP USE campaign and manual to eliminate problematic single-use plastics in hospitality and tourism sectors, announced on 21 November 2025 during Nairobi’s 10th Annual Circular Economy Conference.

The campaign advances the 5 Rs philosophy of Refuse, Reduce, Replace, Reuse, and Refill to build a circular plastics economy.

Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya’s Karin Boomsma highlighted the importance of research-led identification of problematic plastics and design-led circularity.

Kenya Plastics Pact chair Akshay Shah stressed circularity’s economic potential to position Kenya as a green manufacturing hub while creating jobs and boosting ecotourism.

Shah urged clear definitions of problematic plastics and robust recycling with proper enforcement.

NEMA’s Dr Ayub Macharia emphasized Extended Producer Responsibility, waste-picker inclusion, and private-sector accountability across the plastics value chain.

The summit convened over 300 delegates addressing legislation, design in practice, plastics-free meetings, incentives in tourism, and the Global Plastics Treaty.

The manual guides hotels and tourism businesses in refusing and replacing harmful plastics, encouraging reuse and refill systems.

Operators can pledge commitment publicly via the NO SUP USE logo, fostering consumer awareness and promoting cleaner environments.

Beyond the NO SUP USE campaign, Kenya has intensified various sustainability efforts in 2025 focusing on climate resilience, green jobs, and renewable energy.

The Kenya Watershed and Sustainable Landscape Investment Project (KEWASIP), supported by US$200 million in World Bank funding, aims to restore ecological regions across 12 counties by promoting agroforestry, afforestation, and sustainable land use, expected to create 25,000 jobs.

UNDP, UNCDF, and the World Resources Institute have launched initiatives deploying 1,000 solar-powered cold storage units nationwide to reduce post-harvest food losses, preserving 5,000 tons of food while cutting methane emissions.

This aligns with Kenya’s Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy and Paris Agreement commitments. Related programs support electric vehicle adoption to reduce emissions and generate green jobs, with a strong focus on gender inclusion.

Kenya’s green transition also leverages grassroots innovation, such as clean energy briquettes and biogas systems, fostering local enterprise and economic opportunity.

The government’s climate strategy integrates renewable energy projects like the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project and pay-as-you-go solar for rural electrification, demonstrating Kenya’s sustainable development vision for climate action and economic growth.

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