Addressing plastic waste leakage

A DISCUSSION has been held to find out whether objectives agreed to at last year’s plastics colloquium were met.

The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries hosted a colloquium last November when various objectives were created to reduce the leakage of plastics into the environment.

Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy said: “As we meet to report back on the work done since November 2019, it is important that we understand that today’s primary task is to now move beyond innovative pilot programmes.

“We now need to craft a road map for our country as a whole and address the matters related to plastic waste leaking into our environment.”

She said this intervention was necessary to address the fact that almost one-third of plastic waste leaks into the environment, with devastating effects on water systems and marine biomass.

“Government would work closely with the industry to avoid any unintended consequences while we explore alternatives to plastic bags to mitigate the resultant impacts,” she said.

African Reclaimers Organisation co-ordinator Eli Kodisang said: “There is still a lack of space and difficulties to access municipal and government land. The formal sector also relies on informal means to gain access to space.”

He said the pandemic had revealed the importance of space for reclaimers. Waste reclaimers were storing plastics even before Covid-19 and a lot of these materials accumulated, while reclaimers had to wait for markets to allow them to do their work. |