Plastic Free July! Time is Running Out! Is Africa in Serious Action or Waste Management Cosmetics?

Every July is called a plastic-free month, dedicated to reduce or end single use plastic in our lives. It is also a month to think seriously about plastic waste in general because of the serious impact of plastics in our environment and its contribution to green house gas emissions. There is global to find ways and possibilities of totally eliminating plastic from our lives. The degree to which this is possible is an issue for another day.

In my work as a pollution control engineer and integrated solid waste management, I get exposed both the theory and practice when it comes to solid waste management in general and plastic waste in particular. The plastic situation is disturbing especially in Africa in general including countries such as Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, regrettably, Harare the capital city seems to be the worst affected. In 2023 central government declared the solid waste situation in the capital a disaster. Some may think it was just a political gimmick associated with elections but the reality and evidence of a disaster are on the streets, roadsides and open spaces within the city. Dumped waste is everywhere throughout the city. The problem has spread to low density surburbs where one would expect to see piles of dumbed waste on road sides and open spaces within the plush surburbs. I do long-distance running and as I run I take pictures and videos from different parts of the city whenever I come across significant dumbing, especially the northern and western suburbs associated with affluence.

Solid waste dumbing pollutes the environment and is health hazard. Yet, in the worst cases, I would not worry much about organic waste because even if it is dumbed, most of it will either be eaten by stray dogs or it would be eaten by bugs in the environment and disappear. To a certain degree, some types of plastic waste such as PET and other forms of thick plastics get picked up by pickers who then sell them. Yet, not all of this waste is even picked up. The majority of plastic, from light to dense, once it leaks into the environment, remains in the environment for hundreds of years without any significant degradation. The plastic only breaks into smaller particles rather than change its chemical form. In addition, the plastics have high mobility most of it ends up in the water ways, rivers and finally gets to the oceans. Many people in inland countries never think that the plastic in their environment can find its way in the middle of oceans. Many are not even aware about the plastic disaster in our oceans. Just to paint a rough picture; can you imagine a situation where will can have more plastic than fish in our oceans? And are you aware how much of our ecology is bearing the brunt of our poor management of plastic waste? Fish, birds, coral life and other animals are perishing far from our madding crowd.

Yes, we can talk about plastic recycling and reuse of plastic. Making certain products that sequester plastic without changing its form or chemical structure, bricks and other material. All that may help keep our plastic "waste" from the open environment and to places where we can account for it. This is not a permanent solution however. At some point that material we use using used plastic will eventually degrade and become part of the environment.

In addition, waste accounting is still very poor in many parts of the emerging economies. There are no standards, protocols and regulations that demand manufactures and users of plastic waste to account for it. Instruments such as the polluter pays principles, life cycle assessment and the extended producer responsibility are excellent in theory, but few plastic manufacturers and users of plastic take them seriously. Many governments are also not yet there in having national binding laws and mandates for sustainable plastic waste management. Where such laws exist enforcement is non-existent or weak.

The conflicting goals of economic development, industry and commerce on the one side and environmental sustainability on the other still militates against sustainable plastic management in many developing countries at least, and maybe in the rest of the world. While countries can talk about reducing the production and use of plastic, manufacturers of goods lag behind in having alternatives to plastic packaging. This means that new plastic packaging can be opened up, while existing ones are allowed to continue operating ad infinitum. Even when legislation against plastic exists enforcement is undermined by the powerful industry and commerce imperatives.

In the midst of these growing challenges, there are some encouraging role models in serious enforcement of strict plastic management regimes. Kenya and Rwanda are examples in Africa.

In Africa, we also have a legion of unsung heroes in the war against plastic. There are ordinary citizens who pick plastic waste for sale. The common name for these people is waste pickers, but I called them material recovery operatives.

One big thing we must always keep in mind when it comes to plastic is that we can not recycle out of plastic. This means the the most sustainable way of managing waste is to reduce or eliminate its production. This is a powerful principle but one that is difficult to follow. Yet we have no choice but continue the fight.

Let's have a reflective Plastic Free July. Let's do at least something about it. Talk is cheap.

Lets make sustainable development a reality.

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?Simon Bere, 2024