Uganda’s plastic waste crisis threatens health, environment 

I was in Kenya a few months back and had the opportunity to visit Karura forest ,one of the world’s largest urban gazetted forests, where environmental campaigner and Nobel Laureate the late Wangari Maathai once took her furious activism to protect it from government sanctioned encroachment. 

As I tried to buy drinking water, I was surprised to be given a glass bottle of water. The tour guide explained that Kenyan government had banned the use of plastic in all protected areas. I was impressed; Kenya has made great strides to reduce plastic waste.

Uganda will join the rest of the world to celebrate World Environment Day today under theme; “ solutions to plastic waste”.  As we prepare for the event, we must reconsider our usage of plastic, particularly single-use plastics, consumption, production, and embrace the benefits of a circular plastics economy.

Despite countless well-publicised studies and news stories revealing the adverse effects of plastics on human health, the environment and marine life, plastic production continues to increase and much of the waste is steadily accumulating in our environment.

Plastic waste, including plastic toys, bags, crates, bottles and a plethora of other items can be found everywhere. According to Nema, only 6 percent of 600 metric tonnes of disposed plastic waste is safely collected, leaving the bulk of these environmentally dangerous items to choke the already ailing ecosystem. The disposal, recycling and waste management systems remain inefficient.

Plastics are a byproduct of fossil fuels and the harmful chemicals released throughout their entire life cycle pose serious risk to humans and the environment, cause land and water pollution. Some time back, tonnes of dead fish washed up on the shores of Lake Victoria, a phenomenon scientists have blamed on increased levels of plastic waste choking the lake.

Scientifically-proven health effects on humans include cancer or changing hormone activity known as endocrine disruption, which can lead to reproductive, growth, and cognitive impairment. Women, in particular, suffer from plastic-related toxicity risk, due to higher aggregate exposure to plastics at home and even in feminine care products.

Open burning of plastic waste is also common in homes.  This releases black carbon that has a global warming potential up to 5,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that plastics remain major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

The Uganda National Environment Management Act 2019, Section 76 stipulates that a person who imports or manufactures plastics shall as a precondition for continued operation; ensure that recycling is part of that person’s active operations. However, implementation and enforcement of this law remains a pipe dream and environmentalists argue that there is no political will to see it through.

Kenya and Rwanda have, however, succeeded, Uganda is yet to implement the same. In 2018, President Museveni banned single-use plastic bags but enforcement of the measure was never effected.

The good news is that there initiatives taking action to reduce plastic pollution. Reform Africa , a Ugandan women led start-up, is turning polythene bags into fashionable sustainable bags, a process known as up-cycling.

However, the ever-growing population, rapid urbanisation, as well as the weak structures for plastic waste management, are some of the reasons for the plastic waste crisis.

Authored by Ms Taremwa Karakire, an Environmental Researcher