Browsing: Single-use plastic

Plastic Waste Exports from Wealthy Countries Poisoning People In Africa: Study

Africa June 23, 2021

A new report has found that toxic chemicals in plastic waste exports from wealthy countries are contaminating food in developing and transition countries around the world, including Africa.

The study by the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) found that most of the plastic waste exported from wealthy countries to countries with developing economies or economies in transition is landfilled, burned, or dumped into waterways.

According to the report, all plastics virtually contain hazardous chemical additives.

The report states that these disposal methods result in highly toxic emissions that remain in the environment for decades and build up in the food chain.

Dubbed ‘Plastic Waste Poisoning Food and Threatening Communities in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America’, the study demonstrates how these plastic waste handling methods end up poisoning local populations.

For this study, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in fourteen countries which in many cases receive plastic waste from …

The Dandora dumpsite in Nairobi, Kenya. Manufacturers in Kenya have embraced PRO even as the US is bulldozing Kenya to rescind the plastic ban. www.theexchange.africa

The plastic trail: Kenya’s manufacturers embrace PRO

Business October 21, 2020

Manufacturers turn PRO as US bulldozes Kenya over plastics

In August this year, Kenyans and conservationists everywhere were up in arms after it emerged that the US was arm-twisting Kenya to rescind its tough stance on plastics.

The decision was by the American Chemistry Council which has lobbied the US government during the Covid-19 pandemic to use a US-Kenya trade deal to expand the plastics industry’s footprint across Africa.

According to Greenpeace, documents obtained by Unearthed, it’s investigative journalism platform, show that the same lobby group, which counts Shell, Exxon, and Total among its members, also lobbied against changes to the international Basel Convention, which put new limits on plastic waste entering low and middle-income countries.