Earth Day 2024 is all about planet vs. plastic (James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images).
Earth Day 2024 is all about plastic vs. earth. Africa Climate Reality Project It reflects the challenge of plastic pollution on the continent and how informal waste pickers and community-led recycling efforts are leading the solution.
Our continent is rich in vibrant ecosystems and biodiversity, but it faces a growing threat from plastic pollution.
The theme for Earth Day 2024 is “Earth vs Plastic” and Africa is facing increasing challenges. Plastic pollution is so prevalent on the continent that its effects can even be seen on Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanian authorities have since introduced a nationwide ban on single-use plastics, calling for more action on single-use plastics.
This, coupled with the lack of sufficient recycling facilities in Africa, makes single-use plastics a problem that needs to be addressed to reduce the growing risks.
Africa's plastic problem is complex. Rapid urbanization and limited waste management infrastructure means plastic often ends up in landfills, rivers and oceans. Additionally, the continent lacks strong recycling facilities, leading to a “throw-away” culture.
The African Climate Reality Project (ACRP) is a climate justice organization working across Africa to raise awareness about the enormous impacts of climate change. We engage in climate action and campaigning through trained climate reality leaders, resulting in community-led efforts to both educate and take action on climate change.
Some ACRP leaders have said of the risks associated with single-use plastics:
“Extreme high temperatures and seasonal flooding are accompanied by waste and exposed waste. Waste is mixed, unsegregated, food waste, plastics, aluminum, steel and other materials. It is made up of compositions and may contain a mixture of several chemicals. “Dust pollution also occurs due to weak infrastructure landscaping,'' said Abdou Biteai from Gambia. he said.
We recognize that behavior change regarding waste is necessary, but the infrastructure for proper waste management does not exist. To this point, improper waste management has been a recurring theme talked about by many, and a testament to the lack of infrastructure in place to deal with large-scale plastic waste.
“The haphazard disposal of plastic bottles is causing more harm than good. Once people have finished drinking liquid from a plastic bottle, they dump it wherever they want. Then, plastic bottles cause flooding in some parts of Nigeria,” said Olumoye Aduragbemi Oluwafisayo of Nigeria.
Smith Nwokocha shared similar challenges faced by communities in Nigeria.
The main environmental challenge with plastics in my region is that we have adopted single-use plastic production and consumption patterns. It causes a lot of plastic pollution and waste littering in gutters, clogging drainage systems.Parks, schools, and local communities also have plastic dump sites. [which further exacerbates the problem of plastic waste].
Nwokocha recently launched the Bag the Waste Campaign to tackle plastic pollution through regular cleaning of markets, schools and other key locations. This project was done as part of an adaptation grant awarded to him by ACRP.
ACRP hosted an online waste management workshop in 2023, with Asiphile Khanyile, Project Coordinator at Groundwork, sharing his expertise. Mr. Khaniyil emphasized that waste management systems are complex and that when it comes to single-use materials such as plastics, the simple concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” applies.
“What we've seen is that you can reuse it [these single-use materials] And then we change it from one material to another,” Kanyil said.
Read | SA calls for funds to help end plastic pollution under global treaty
Despite these growing challenges, ACRP's climate change leaders are spearheading innovative solutions to tackle the growing problem of waste and plastics.
Another avenue that must be explored is the potential of Africa's informal sector and the important role it plays in the economy.
In South Africa, informal waste pickers plug holes in the waste management system by collecting reusable and recyclable materials from household and commercial bins. According to his 2016 study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, informal waste pickers collect between 80% and 90% of all used packaging and recycled paper.
Community-led recycling efforts, such as Nwokocha's Garbage Bag Campaign for waste pickers across South Africa and the Global South, are a way to recycle and reduce plastic.
However, to ensure the longevity of Africa's ecosystems for many years to come, we must continue to educate the public about the long-term effects of single-use plastics and ensure that these materials are disposed of in a safe manner. there is.
The fight against plastic pollution in Africa will determine the trajectory towards a cleaner future for all and must be prioritized and given the importance it deserves as we work towards achieving #TheAfricaWeWant. It should be done.
Africa Climate Reality Projecthosted by african food and treesis a climate justice organization; climate reality project Founded by former US Vice President Al Gore. He has over 2,000 climate change leaders across Africa and the work being done across the continent is inspiring.To participate, please email us africa@climatereality.com.
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