The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has directed the Kenya Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO) to immediately initiate a stakeholder validation process for the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fee structure, signaling a major shift in the implementation of Kenya's waste management reforms.

In a directive issued by NEMA Director General Dr. Mamo B. Mamo, EBS, KEPRO has been instructed to convene a validation workshop bringing together all relevant value chain actors to build consensus on the proposed EPR fee structure in accordance with the Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility) Regulations, 2024.

The move comes amid growing concerns over the continued collection of EPR fees under what NEMA describes as a framework that is not fully compliant with the regulations.

Under Kenya's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, manufacturers and importers are legally required to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, including the collection, transportation, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal of post-consumer waste. This responsibility can either be undertaken directly by producers or through registered Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) such as KEPRO.

According to NEMA, the EPR fee is specifically intended to finance waste collection, transportation, recycling, recovery and other sustainable waste management activities that reduce environmental pollution and promote a circular economy.

However, the environmental regulator noted that the continued collection of EPR fees by KEPRO under a non-compliant framework risks undermining the objectives of the EPR Regulations, 2024 and could erode confidence among producers and other stakeholders.

The planned validation workshop is expected to provide manufacturers, importers, recyclers, waste handlers, county governments and other industry players with an opportunity to review, discuss and agree on a transparent, fair and legally compliant fee structure before implementation.

The directive is seen as a significant step toward strengthening accountability, enhancing stakeholder participation and ensuring that Kenya's Extended Producer Responsibility system operates within the legal framework while advancing sustainable waste management across the country.

The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications for producers, importers and the recycling industry as Kenya continues to implement policies aimed at reducing pollution and promoting environmental sustainability.