Kenya's Ministry of Environment and Forestry in partnership with industry on Monday unveiled a new roadmap to re-energize national plastic waste recycling initiatives and spur the growth of the circular economy.

The national plastic roadmap 2030 seeks to eliminate single-use plastic packaging besides coming up with eco-friendly alternatives to promote environmental health and job creation through circularity.

Ayub Macharia, the director of Environmental Education and Awareness in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said that Kenya is the second country after South Africa to come up with an ambitious roadmap for managing plastic waste.

"This roadmap will stimulate industry-led innovation, dialogue and collaboration to reinvigorate plastic waste recycling, generate new jobs besides improving our overall economic and environmental health," said Macharia in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

Statistics from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry indicate that Kenya generates an estimated 22,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, of which, 20 percent is plastic.

In addition, daily plastic consumption is estimated at 0.03 kg per person while only 8 percent of plastic waste in the country is recycled, with the remainder finding its way into landfills or waterways.

Macharia added that Kenya has been generating 0.5 million to 1.3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, thereby necessitating partnership between the government, industry and civil society to promote recycling and minimize pollution of vital ecosystems.

In August 2017, Kenya joined other East African countries like Rwanda to impose a ban on single-use plastic, and later rolled out a raft of policy and regulatory incentives to promote the use of biodegradable alternatives.

Carole Kariuki, the chief executive officer of Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), said that limiting plastic use should be combined with leveraging appropriate technologies and innovations to develop alternatives that are affordable and friendly to the environment.

According to Kariuki, local investors have rallied behind circularity, with the realization it will expand revenue streams besides promoting environmental sustainability.

"Companies need to strategically integrate circularity in their value chains, to increase sustainable economic development and resilience," said Kariuki.

She added that an enabling policy environment, knowledge sharing, public awareness and targeted investments are key to unlocking the growth of the circular economy in the country.