Innovate on environment

Most young people in the country are seeing the importance of being innovative in order to conserve the environment. The March 2 edition of the Seeds of Gold magazine, featured a woman whose company specialises in converting banana fibre into organic fertiliser and biodegradable carrier bags.

This is very encouraging. After Nema banned single-use plastic carrier bags, the alternative that is now commonly used is also plastic. We should encourage innovations, especially on carrier bags.

The plastic ban, though globally acclaimed, was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Kenya should take the route of countries like Japan, where carrier bags are degradable. With almost all counties failing to manage waste, ways should be found to ensure every packaging material is biodegradable.

This way, the ‘Three Rs’ (reduce, re-use and recycle) in waste management will come to fruition. Local solutions are the best when it comes to issues like greenhouse gas mitigation, pollution of water bodies and improved solid waste management.

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention and innovation. Moving from the obsolete ways of doing things should be the norm. Those untested waters could solve most issues that threaten the environment.

Nobel laureate Prof Wangari Maathai used to repeat every other time that nature is unforgiving. We have seen the truth in this what we are going through, and the time to act is now.

Our environment managers should move out of their comfort zone and venture out there like this young woman from Bungoma who is proving that most things are possible when there is a will. This should be the year of innovations if the environment is to be saved from destruction from man’s activities.

Mr Kigo is an environmentalist. [email protected].