Africa facing waste nightmare
Broken infrastructure contributing to build-up of plastics, but grim situation can be turned around, conference hears
Africa is facing a major collision between broken infrastructure, poor service delivery and a rising mountain of unmanaged waste.
But through proper planning, partnership and commitment this grim scenario can be avoided and sustainable value can be swiftly built.
That was the message at the 2nd Conference of the African Marine Waste Network, titled “Towards Zero Plastics to the Seas of Africa”, in Gqeberha yesterday.
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research circular economy research head Prof Linda Godfrey said international case studies abounded and Africa needed to learn from them.
“There is sufficient evidence internationally to see where Africa is heading.
“The uncontrolled build-up of waste in parts of South East Asia is giving us the signal and the threats to human health and the environment alone are frightening. If we want to do something to change that trajectory the time is now,” Godfrey said.
“What is really scary is that this threat is coming over the hill at a time when we sit with a broken waste management system.
“We have already seen some of the consequences of that in KwaZulu-Natal recently, where piles of waste blocked stormwater drains and worsened the flooding.
“So to start with we need to fix the basics in terms of infrastructure and service delivery.
“We need to get our city cleansing and waste collection systems working again.”
She said politicians also needed to support this work with firm and proactive decision-making.
“We need serious political will and investment both from international entities like the World Bank and African governments at different tiers.
“SA municipalities often say their problem is they don’t have enough money.
“Perhaps that is partly the problem but also one has to look at how their budgets are being allocated.”
Godfrey said in the rest of Africa, governments were trying to convince residents to pay for services.
“Here in SA we had that culture in place but it is eroding fast. The result is less money being made available for municipalities to do things like manage waste.
“We’ve got to nip the problem of nonpayment in the bud or many municipalities will go bankrupt. More than anything that’s what keeps me awake at night.”
Asked about the strong lobby which emerged five years ago to ban all single-use plastic, Godfrey said this approach would not work in her view.
“Sometimes you need single-use plastics for the distribution of clean water and safe food for example.
“But we do need to be critical of how goods are packaged and always ask the question, ‘does it need to be in plastic?’
“According to the Africa Waste Management Outlook report, towns and cities across the continent generated 125million tonnes of municipal solid waste in 2012 and that figure is expected to double by 2025.
“However, waste collection services in most African countries are inadequate,” she said.
“The average municipal solid waste collection rate is only 55%.
“More than 90% of waste generated in Africa is disposed of at uncontrolled dumpsites and landfills, often with associated open burning.
“Nineteen of the world’s 50 biggest dumpsites are located in Africa, all in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“On average, 13% of municipal solid waste generated in Africa is plastic and 57% is organic waste.
“The bulk is currently dumped but it could provide significant socioeconomic opportunities. “Recycling has emerged across Africa, driven more by poverty, unemployment and socioeconomic need than by public and private sector design.
“An estimated 70-80% of the municipal solid waste generated in Africa is recyclable, yet only 4% of MSW is currently recycled.”
Department of science and innovation, environmental services and technologies director Dr Henry Roman said any effort to stem marine pollution needed to look at the hinterland as well as coastal towns.
“We need to think of the waste that is carried long distances to the coast by river.”
He said the conference was an important opportunity to deliberate on the pan-African plan that was being put in place.
“But after the speeches, we must put on our work clothes.”
Dr Tony Ribbink, chief executive of the Sustainable Seas Trust, which is hosting the conference, said the role of municipalities was key.
“If we can solve the problem of solid waste pollution and especially plastic pollution in the cities and towns then we can solve it as a whole.
“We want to build hope for people, especially young people, to see this is the right direction.
“If waste streams can be curbed at source and recycling incentives can be put in place, if small successes can be shared, then the benefits to the economy and job creation, human health and the environment, tourism and property will multiply.”