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Africa’s fight against plastic pollution is steadily gathering pace, the republic of Uganda being the latest and the 12th country in the continent to ban the use of single-use plastics, responsible for widespread pollution of the environment including waterbodies, cities, farmland and protected areas.
The nation is prohibiting single-use plastics, citing that they are too flimsy to be recycled and made for disposal after usage, said Barirega Akankwasa, executive director of Uganda’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
Past attempts to ban the plastics had not succeeded owing to political and economic considerations overriding environmental wellbeing, according to the official.
The official mentioned that the authority was working on proposing changes to the NEMA act to prohibit the bags, highlighting that this move would harmonise the country's regulations with other East African nations that have already imposed bans.
The complete ban on the bags came six years after the East African nation implemented a similar ban on plastics under 30 microns. However, the director noted that it was challenging for the public to differentiate between plastics below 30 microns and those above this measurement.
Changing the legislation will eliminate the uncertainty and protect the nation from the harmful impacts of plastics, which involve water contamination, flooding, soil deterioration and diseases like malaria, as the bags serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes, he noted.
He highlighted that Uganda produces 600 metric tonnes of plastic daily, yet less than 40 per cent of this is effectively collected and managed.
The nation is now part of the group of African countries, including Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa and Botswana, that have discontinued the use of the bags, along with its neighbouring countries Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
However, these countries have struggled to enforce the bans due to the smuggling of packaging materials from Uganda. Greenpeace Africa noted that despite the ban being in place for eight years, its implementation has been lax in these three nations.
“This is a step in the right direction for Uganda, but good intentions do not bring change: only concrete actions do. We urge NEMA to ensure effective enforcement of the ban and to incentivise businesses, manufacturers and producers to provide affordable, accessible, circular and sustainable alternatives to consumers,” Hellen Kahaso Dena, project lead for the Pan-African Plastic Project at Greenpeace Africa.
She stressed that Ugandan authorities need to oversee the enforcement of the ban among various stakeholders and establish measures to ensure compliance, including within small-scale and informal businesses.
“Uganda’s announcement comes at a time when world leaders are gearing up for the second round of the Fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting (INC 5.2) talks in Geneva. Greenpeace Africa urges Uganda to shun the petrochemical industry and support an ambitious treaty that prioritises cuts in plastics production and embraces solutions like refill and reuse for a future free from the devastating impacts of plastic pollution,” she added.
The campaigner observed that in East Africa, plastic bags are largely brought into nations where they are banned from nearby countries like Uganda, using unguarded border crossings, and are distributed to different markets by organised groups.
She proposed that the East African Community, a regional trade organisation, should push for the enforcement of the bag ban across the region. This action would enable the bloc's 200 million residents to benefit from a plastic-free environment.
Cooperation across the environmental agencies in different counties is critical in ensuring that all loopholes are sealed, she emphasised. “Plastic pollution remains a big transboundary and global challenge for the region. A plastic-free future is possible in Africa through strong government action, cooperation across borders, and a commitment to the Global Plastics Treaty currently under negotiation,” she told Down To Earth.
Overall, she noted, Africa is at the forefront of the war on plastics. Out of 54 states, 36 have either passed a law banning plastics, mostly plastic bags, and implemented it or have passed a law with the intention of implementation.
“Compared to the rest of the world, the continent is seemingly doing a great job, however there are challenges when it comes to the reality of implementing these plastic bans across the continent,” she said.
“All across Africa, plastic pollution remains a serious problem, devastating communities’ health, their environment and the ecosystem that millions depend on for livelihoods,” Kahaso added.
In numerous African urban regions, she noted, plastic waste is blocking waterways, causing floods and damage, overflowing landfills and polluting oceans and rivers. Plastics are infiltrating oceans and environments at alarming speeds, disintegrating into microplastics that enter the food chains of marine species, harming sea life and affecting consumer health, she mentioned. On land, she pointed out, wildlife is also suffering, as the consumption of plastic products has been discovered to have dangerous effects.
Further, plastic pollution disproportionately affects marginalised communities and the ecosystems that provide livelihoods for millions. The United Nations Environmental Programme's Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution reports that global plastic consumption was anticipated to surpass 500 million tonnes in 2024, with about 400 million tonnes swiftly turning into waste. Without urgent action and essential interventions, global plastic waste could nearly triple, potentially reaching around 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060, according to the committee.