The Chairman of the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) is asking other faith leaders in the East African nation to rally together against the use of all kinds of plastic, including bags and bottles. In a video message circulated Thursday, May 18 ahead of the June 5 World Environment Day (WED), Fr. Joseph Mutie urges religious leaders in Kenya to advocate for policies that foster the use of environmentally friendly material. “Together let us join hands as religious leaders and advocate for the refusal to use any form of plastics in our places of worship, in our communities,” Fr. Mutie says. He explains that the rallying against the use of plastics is informed by the fact “we have seen they are causing health hazards.” “It could be either in the form of plastic bags or plastic bottles, let us desist from the use of them all,” IRCK chairman, a “coalition of all major faith communities in Kenya that works together to deepen inter-faith dialogue and collaboration among members for a common endeavor to mobilize the unique moral and social resources of religious people and address shared concerns” says in his message ahead of WED 2023. The official of the entity that includes representatives from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) says in places where plastics are in use, religious leaders should encourage their congregants to recycle or reuse them.  Fr. Mutie says religious leaders should also advocate “for regulations that will keep the use of plastics away from us since they have been a menace in our environment.” Plastics, he says, “have also contributed to our poor health and you know if we have a good environment and a clean environment of course the results will be healthy.” “Let's come up with new environment friendly material that will help us live together harmoniously with the environment and not cause any damage to our environment,” he says ahead of the June 5 event has that has been held annually since 1973, and to be marked this year under the theme, "Solutions for Plastic Pollution". In line with the theme for WED 2023, the chairman IRCK, who doubles as the General Secretary of the Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) says it is important that all people "embrace new ways or new materials that are environmental friendly."