“Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time” says Anthony Nyong, Director for Climate Change and Green Growth, African Development Bank Group. “In Africa, rising consumption, rapid urbanisation and limited waste infrastructure are fuelling a plastic crisis.
Clogged waterways, littered coastlines, and overflowing dumpsites are threatening public health, biodiversity and sustainable development.”
In a statement about this year’s World Environment Day that took place earlier this month, themed #BeatPlasticPollution, the AfDB described it as a “call to rethink our relationship with plastic and advance a circular economy—where materials are reused, redesigned, and reintegrated into the value chain rather than ending up in landfills or oceans.’
In 2022, the bank launched the Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), a multi-donor trust fund, to support and catalyse Africa’s transition to a circular economy. The ACEF promotes policy development, supporting governments to integrate circularity into national strategies; access to finance, enabling circular businesses and SMEs to scale; and capacity building, sharing knowledge and fostering innovation.
Through the ACEF, the Bank supports circular economy roadmaps in Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Ethiopia, helping governments incorporate circularity into national planning and unlock new industrial and environmental opportunities.
According to the ACEF, the circular economy provides a myriad opportunities for the continent:
Image source: ACEF
The ACEF also backs ventures such as plastic recycling hubs, biodegradable packaging, plastic-to-fuel technology and sustainable manufacturing in Rwanda, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
The AfDB sees Africa’s youth as the dynamic drivers of circular change with various initiatives to empower young entrepreneurs tackling climate and plastic challenges. To date, $5.4 million has been awarded to 41 youth-led enterprises in 20 countries.
Just a few exciting ventures to mention include:
Earlier this month, the Environmental Sustainability Summit with the theme “Ending plastic waste in Ghana: A sustainable future for all” took place in Accra to discuss what is regarded as a growing plastic waste crisis facing the country.
The World Bank estimates that Ghana generates approximately 1.1 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. However, only about 5% is being recycled.
This has led to the government’s recent announcement of its intention to ban single-use plastics altogether.
In South Africa, the Goal50 Edu Hub in Heideveld is an early childhood development (ECD) centre built with sustainable and recycled materials, including car tyres, rammed earth and other waste materials.
It aims to address the shortage of ECD centres in the area and provide a nurturing learning environment for up to 100 children. The project is a collaboration between Uthando South Africa and the Natural Building Collective, and designed to be a highly visible example of sustainable building practices.
Uthando (which means love) is an award-winning model of responsible tourism and travelling philanthropy. Its founding director James Fernie says the development work on the ground done by private charities and NGOs is critical for many communities: “Without these organisations, I wonder who is going to look after the children, the animals or the environment?” Watch his inspiring interview in full here.
Images: https://www.uthandosa.org
Africa is grappling with rapid urbanisation, increasing waste generation as a result of the urbanisation and inefficient waste management systems” says Janine Osborne, CEO of Sustainable Seas Trust, a science-based organisation that works to protect Africa’s seas.
She continues: “in terms of plastic waste recycling, this is a growing issue within Africa, but it also presents an opportunity to invest in recycling technologies that can convert plastic waste into useful end-use products. We do that quite successfully in South Africa when it comes to PET bottle recycling. PET bottles are what you find your Coke and your sparkling water in.
This is actually a widely recycled material in South Africa, and it competes in terms of our recycling rates for PET on par with European and American rates. We have closed the loop in South Africa, and further investment in bottle to bottle recycling is a huge opportunity when it comes to plastic waste recycling.” [Read the full interview here.]
Images source: SST
www.wearevuka.com/press-release/extended-producer-responsibility-epr-into-africa/
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