Johannesburg, 21 June 2021 – This morning, a Mail & Guardian exposé revealed that the South African government plans to reject a new proposed global treaty on plastics. According to a leaked document [1] the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries is afraid that the plastic ban will make it harder for the country to, among other things, capitalise on the plastic waste trade. This is despite South Africa being the third worst offender on the continent – and eleventh in the world – for land-based plastic leaks into the ocean.
Africa’s rivers, oceans and communities are filled with single-use plastic waste. Cases of plastic waste dumping across Africa are on the rise. Plastic lobbyists are trying to undermine anti-plastic policies to flood African countries with plastic waste. South Africa’s failure to take leadership on the plastic issue should not set a precedent; African governments should prioritise signing this global treaty to truly take the continent out of the plastic crisis.
In response to the development, Greenpeace Africa Pan-Africa Project Plastic Lead Angelo Louw said:
“The South African government remains tonedeaf to our needs for a safe and healthy plastic free environment. One of the scariest realisations in the document is that our government is considering importing plastic waste despite global outrage against using other countries as dumping sites. Several countries in Asia have stopped accepting waste due to the environmental injustice it causes underprivileged communities; the United Nations just released a much publicised report on this [2]. ”
“As noted in the document, the South African government is fully aware of the country’s contribution to ocean plastic pollution – we are the world’s eleventh largest contributor. Yet, they are hoping to derail the global treaty because it might stand in the way of them capitalising on the plastic crisis.
“This document proves what we have been saying for months: the South African environment department is captured by corporate interests when it comes to the plastic issue in our country. The fact that they only consulted with business interest groups, and that all of their proposed interventions are focused on financial benefit and not the reduction of plastic pollution, speaks volumes about the mindsets of our leaders.”
Break Free From Plastic Regional Coordinator Niven Reddy said:
“The government’s argument is that there are sufficient existing platforms that cover the issue of plastic, namely the Stockholm and Basel conventions. However, these platforms are only looking at plastic at its end of life, they deal with the impact of plastic.
“We need a treaty that is looking at plastic further up the value chain and that is what the global treaty is going to do. As long as the department is acting with the interests of the plastics industry in mind, they are not going to be ambitious enough.”
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
[1] The leaked document can be viewed here.
[2] The United Nations Environment Programme report on Environmental Injustice caused by plastic can be accessed here.
Contact Details
- Greenpeace Africa Press Desk: [email protected]
- Arin de Hoog, interim global communications coordinator, Greenpeace Africa, email: [email protected], tel: +31 646 197 329
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I am working on a prototype waste incinerator that produces electricity and Hydrogen & Oxygen or HHO. The HHO is added to the blown airstream to the firebox to raise burn temperature for breakdown of plastics into ash that can be used in concrete of bricks. Just amagin Fleets of whale catchers converted to trawling the oceans for waste plastic that is retuned to a factory ship that produces Hydrogen that is stored in paste like suspension and packaged for use in Ummm anything.....
Thank you for sharing with us.
Fantastic
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Do countries get money for other countries dumping their plastic waste on our doorstep, just asking
Thank you for your comment. That is an excellent question; Unfortunately, we do not know the depth of the governments' agreement concerning plastic trade.
Why am I not surprised? This whole disgusting country has been captured!! I have lost all faith in our leaders. I will never live to see the day when just one of our leaders will make a decision that benefits all of creation and not just themselves.
Thank you for your comment. All culprits must be held accountable regardless of their status quo.
Typical of the ANC government. Again they do not put the people first. It's all about the money. Probably all their buddies are in the plastic industries. Probably there are people getting kick backs.... The environment is of no importance to our useless government
We must clean the earth of plastic polution
Thank you for your comment. Absolutely 💯!
RSA's dumping everywhere ( land, river,sea,city streets, picnic spots) is absolutely disgusting. I remember as a youngster going to beaches, picnic spots and suchlike and there was no dumped plastic (and it had been invented then!). For God's and the world's sake can we now please stop dumping!!!
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No plastic in our rivers and oceans
Thank you for your comment. Kindly take action here>>>> https://act.gp/3wmbamE
Save the ENVIRONMENT, save the LIFE
Thank you so much for being so supportive. Kindly take action here>>> https://act.gp/3wmbamE
I am deeply disgusted about the untidiness and stinky dirt thrown along our road sideways, public open parks and even at the gates of our shopping mall. I understand that South Africa is the hope for many war devastated African states that comes here legally or illegally. South Africa is now one of the most populated county in Africa because everyone just flocks in here. There are rubbish rattled plastic that you see all over place and we all know that they are harmful to our environment and they can even cause us more disease. Our government is falling to manage all those services and the infrastructures a falling apart. I saw a comment by Mr. Barry Visser (29 August 2021) about the same sentiment I have and someone dissed him saying there are no paper in our waters. I understand that Mr. Visser is a man worried about the deteriorated standard of cleanliness in S.A as I do, we love our country and let's show it practically and educate even those from other countries that our country is not a lawlessness county as they assume. I need help from Greenpeace to take an action and improve this situation.
Thank you for sharing with us. Plastic waste is a crisis across Africa; we need to work together to combat this environmental disaster.
Ban single use plastic immediately Thereafter impose a time limit (2 years) for non recyclable plastic to be stopped.
Indeed💯!We need to eradicate single-use plastic products.
we have enough litter from the vermin population that live in this country and the complete DISREGARD FOR RECYCLING , why would we need to import other countries filth ??????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi, please be kind in your interactions.
Do away with plastic go back to glass and paper.
We agree 💯!
No plastic to our environment.
Absolutely!
Come on guys...
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This is an outrage. Plastics are killing humans, animals, our rivers, oceans, drinking water, our food. Wake up SA and get on board!
Thank you for your comment. We need to do better to protect our fragile planet and all its inhabitants.
What are we doing to our Earth. Please ban the use of plastic!
Truly disheartening, we need to protect our fragile planet at all costs better.
Lets not only focus on plastics alone af been in mining environment for 12 years what they dump underground will shock you. Remember some places use boreholes to get water we also need to tackle that.
Thank you for sharing with us.