We need to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’

What you need to know:

Across the African continent, according to a World Bank report, expanding economies will generate waste in excess of 160 million tons by the year 2025.

A measure of a nation’s wealth is the amount of rubbish it creates, some say. As Tanzania’s economic growth indeed corresponds to increasing waste management challenges, perhaps this is true. Across the African continent, according to a World Bank report, expanding economies will generate waste in excess of 160 million tons by the year 2025.

Some plastic products like shopping bags are now so cheap to manufacture that even shop owners who barely make a living provide them free of charge. Such single-use plastic items create a range of environmental problems, not just in Tanzania.

Insufficient garbage collection systems result in tons of rubbish being burned, buried or simply dumped in sewers, public places or backyard waste dumps, contributing to health hazards from toxic smoke to methane emissions. The waste floating in rivers or blown into the oceans by the wind kills wildlife and poses a risk to us humans on top of the food chain. Oceanographers in California found that up to 10% of fish – the fish we eat – contain plastic, ingested when rubbish in oceans or lakes breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments which are not bio-degradable.

Although some people doubt it is the largest manmade structure visible from space, the existence of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” is undisputed. Ocean currents trap a floating, growing mass of rubbish in the North Pacific. Currently, it is estimated to be 1.5 times the size of Tanzania, close to three metres deep, weighing seven tons, and consisting mainly of plastics. It is the biggest, but sadly not the only floating garbage patch.

Last week, the East African Legislative Assembly adjourned the enactment of a bill to control production and importation of polythene materials. Of course producers of plastics have invested heavily and therefore fight such legislation. Kenya’s Association of Manufacturers also opposes the government’s decision to ban plastic bags from September, warning that this can cost up to 60,000 jobs. A solution acceptable to all stakeholders must urgently be found.

The plastic bags blocking Tanzania’s urban drainage ditches and sewage systems also create breeding grounds for mosquitos, but are not the only item of concern. Banning bags will not stop consumers from carelessly discarding other items. Effective plastic waste reduction requires us to rethink many habits beyond plastic bags. Punitive measures and blanket bans are difficult to defend and enforce.

To avoid Tanzania becoming a “disposable society” in which short-lived items accelerate environmental degradation, citizens need to be educated about the resulting health hazards in order to accept responsibility for reducing the amount of non-biodegradable waste they produce.

Perhaps, to limit the ecological impact of plastics already circulating, current producers could be encouraged to shift from manufacturing single-use products to investing in recycling plastics. There is money to be made in recycling, a crucial step in the transition process to healthier urban environments. Once materials are deemed recyclable, their monetary value grows, and the likelihood of such materials being illegally dumped or burned declines. Consumers do think twice before throwing away money.

Companies like TerraCycle make profits by turning rubbish into new products, providing employment for an increasing number of people. Many even pay non-profit organizations to collect recyclable rubbish on their behalf. The plastic water bottles scattered around Tanzania’s countryside can be made into plastic pellets used to manufacture a whole range of new products, even clothing like fleece jackets.

Our grandparents knew little about recycling. They not only consumed less, but during less prosperous times, reusing items many times was standard procedure in their households. So was buying second-hand and borrowing from friends and neighbours instead of purchasing everything new. These practices kept rubbish at bay and are worth resuming. Reusing is even more sustainable than recycling.

Instead of letting excessive, careless consumption symbolise wealth, we should welcome educated, environmentally friendly choices as new status symbols. It is time for industry and citizens to “reduce, reuse and recycle”.