Plastic waste is spiraling out of control across Africa, where it is growing faster than any other region, new analysis has shown. If the trend continues unabated according to the United Nation, , the region is projected to end up with 116m tonnes of plastic waste annually by 2060, six times more than the 18m tonnes of waste produced in 2019. Following these impediments, most African states are reinforcing measures to avoid waste pollution.
In the absence of global rules and regulations, people in developing countries suffer disproportionately from the environmental and health consequences of plastic pollution. To curb this pollution, on November 28, 2023, the Economic Community of West African States adopted a series of initiatives to combat plastic waste pollution.
With the support of major projects we have with USAID, who is supporting us with about 45 million dollars . What stakeholders have done till date is to ask member states to propose solutions.
Sedami Romarique , Chairman , joint committee on plastic waste(Ecowas) – Benin
The signing of the « Memorandum on the draft regulation on the harmonization of the regulation of plastic products and the environmentally sound management of plastic waste in ECOWAS member states » should help to combat pollution more effectively. Indeed, some 80% of poorly managed plastic waste in West African coastal areas poses growing challenges to populations, economies and the coastal and marine environment. According to some experts, this situation is the result of the demographic boom in coastal areas, where a third of the West African population lives, and the development of a consumer society.
Development in advanced countries today were heavily dependent on this dirty fuel called coal. They used it to develop their country. When it is time for Africa to use the same factor to develop our economy, they come with a regulation to tell you it is dirty fuel.
Awaji Inomber Abiante , Member house of Representative – Nigeria
According to official data, in 2018, 6.9 million tonnes of plastic waste were dumped into the ocean by the 17 coastal countries of West Africa. And according to the United Nations, the region is expected to produce 116 million tonnes of plastic waste per year by 2060. To reverse this trend, experts are calling on African countries to improve their management of plastic waste.