At one moment essential and the next garbage, polythene bags simultaneously stand as symbols of modern convenience, excess, and failed sustainability. This United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report uses the case of Kenya to promote the production and consumption of cleaner packaging alternatives, formulate a policy proposal on collection, transport, disposal and reuse of polythene bags, raise awareness of the problem and support the development of environmentally appropriate bags. It covers the economic instruments the Kenyan government considered, the solid waste management system, the process for selecting/designing and implementing a policy package, its development, and the pilot project proposed to test the policy package.