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Earth Day 2024 is themed on Plastic vs Planet, The African Climate Reality Project reflects on the challenge of plastic pollution on the continent and how informal waste pickers and community-led recycling initiatives are leading solutions.
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Our continent is bursting with vibrant ecosystems and biodiversity, yet faces a growing threat: plastic pollution.
With the theme of Earth Day 2024 being "Planet vs Plastics", Africa faces an increasing challenge. Plastic pollution is so pervasive on the continent that you will even find its effects on Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanian authorities have since introduced a single-use plastic ban across the country, and speaks to the need for more action around single-use plastics.
This, coupled with the lack of sufficient recycling facilities in Africa, single-use plastic is an issue that needs to be addressed in order to mitigate increasing risks.
Africa's plastic problem is complex. Rapid urbanisation, together with limited waste management infrastructure, means plastic often ends up in landfills, rivers, and oceans. Additionally, the continent lacks robust recycling facilities, leading to a "throw-away" culture.
The African Climate Reality Project (ACRP) is a climate justice organisation that works across Africa, raising awareness about the vast impacts of climate change. Through its trained Climate Reality Leaders, actions and campaigns around climate change are addressed, and in turn, community-led initiatives are held to both educate and act on climate change.
This is what some ACRP leaders had to say about the risks associated with single-use plastics:
"Extreme heat temperatures and seasonal flooding are accompanied by disposed and exposed waste. Waste is mixed and not segregated, consisting of food waste, plastic, aluminium, iron, and other material compositions that possibly contain a mixture of several chemicals. Dust pollution also occurs from weak infrastructural landscaping," according to Abdou Biteye from The Gambia.
While changed behaviour regarding waste is necessary, we recognise that there is no infrastructure for adequate waste management. To this point, improper waste management was a recurring theme that many spoke to, a testimony to the failing infrastructure in place to deal with the vast scale of plastic disposal.
"The haphazard disposal of plastic bottles has caused more harm than good. People finish drinking any liquid from plastic bottles and dispose of it anywhere they like which later falls or (is) washed into the drainage system which hinders the free flow of water, and later causes flooding. Some parts of Nigeria experience flooding yearly which is caused by plastic bottles," according to Olumoye Aduragbemi Oluwafisayo from Nigeria.
Smith Nwokocha shared a similar challenge that he sees facing communities in Nigeria:
Nwokocha recently launched the "Bag the Waste Campaign", to tackle plastic pollution through regular clean-ups at markets, schools, and other key locations. This project was done as part of an adaptation grant awarded to him by ACRP.
ACRP held an online waste management workshop in 2023, with expertise shared by Asiphile Khanyile, project coordinator at Groundwork. Khanyile emphasised that waste management systems are complex, and when it comes to single-use materials such as plastic, the simple concept of "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" applies.
"What we've seen is that you can repurpose it [these single-use materials] and turn it from one material to another," Khanyile said.
READ | SA to call for fund to help end plastic pollution in global treaty
In spite of these growing challenges, ACRP's climate 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 crucial role it plays in the economy.
In South Africa, informal waste pickers have plugged a hole in the waste management system by collecting reusable and recyclable materials from residential and commercial garbage bins. According to a 2016 study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, informal waste pickers collect 80%-90% of all used packaging and paper that is recycled.
Community-led recycling initiatives such as Nwokocha's "Bag the Waste campaign", to the waste pickers spread across South Africa and the Global South are ways in which plastic can be recycled and reduced.
We, however, need to continue capacitating the public about the long-term effects of single-use plastics and ensure that the discarding of these materials is done in a safe manner, to ensure the longevity of ecosystems in Africa for many years to come.
Africa's fight against plastic pollution is one that determines the trajectory of a cleaner future for all, which should be prioritised and given the importance it deserves, as we work towards achieving #TheAfricaWeWant.
The African Climate Reality Project, hosted by Food and Trees for Africa, is a climate justice organisation and forms part of the Climate Reality Project founded by former US Vice President Al Gore. With over 2000 Climate Leaders spread across Africa, the work being done across the continent is inspiring. To get involved, email africa@climatereality.com.
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