This story was originally posted by Greenpeace Africa.
In Nairobi’s Dandora dumpsite, Joyce, a young mother rises each day not to farm her land or build her dream, but to scavenge through plastic waste to sell and feed her children. Years of inhaling toxic fumes have damaged her lungs. Hospital visits are now part of her daily reality. Still, every morning, she returns to that mountain of waste, because she has no other choice.
Plastic waste colonialism is fuelling injustice for African communities
Joyce’s story is not an exception. It is the reality of too many African women whose lives are being shaped, and shortened, by a crisis they did not create. Women in Africa are on the frontlines of the climate and plastic crisis, not just as victims but as the invisible backbone of communities striving to survive amidst environmental collapse.
The global plastic crisis may affect us all, but its impacts are not equally distributed. Africa contributes the least to global plastic pollution, yet our rivers, coastlines, and cities are overflowing with it. Our markets are flooded with single-use plastics manufactured thousands of miles away and greenwashed as “recyclable”, “reusable”, or even “circular”. Our communities are turned into dumping grounds in the name of global trade. And the poorest, especially women, are left to deal with the toxic aftermath.
This is not accidental. It is structural. It is a system that prioritises corporate profit over human life. This is plastic waste colonialism. And it must end. Recently, Greenpeace Africa took their message to Coca-Cola’s corporate offices in Johannesburg, South Africa to demand a different future, one where corporations are held accountable and communities, especially women, are protected and empowered.
The Global Plastic Treaty must prioritise people over profit
Millions of people across the world have joined the movement for a strong, binding Global Plastics Treaty. This treaty must not be another vague agreement. It must deliver justice.
We need a Global Plastics Treaty that:
- Caps and phases down global plastic production, starting with single-use plastics
- Holds polluters accountable across the entire plastics lifecycle, from extraction, production to disposal
- Bans toxic chemicals of concern used to make plastics and waste trade from high-income to low-income countries
- Prioritises the needs of frontline communities like waste pickers, informal recyclers, and Indigenous Peoples
- Guarantees meaningful participation of African voices, especially women, in negotiations and implementation as well as a stable financial mechanism that will drive the treaty implementation
- Protects human health, especially in communities near incinerators, dumpsites, and plastic manufacturing zones
Because this isn’t just about the environment. It’s about dignity, health, and justice.
Ask world leaders to support a strong Global Plastic Treaty that addresses the whole life cycle of plastic.
Take actionIn Kenya, Greenpeace Africa’s documentary Dumped: A Waste Picker’s Story brought Joyce’s voice to the global stage. In South Africa, there are calls for legal efforts to ban hazardous single-use plastics. Across Cameroon and Senegal, we are building grassroots power to demand systemic change. We are demanding for solutions that are rooted in equity, science, and human rights.
Women like Joyce are not passive recipients of aid. They are leading change, when given the chance. Joyce and her community should not have to choose between survival and safety. And they should never bear the cost of a crisis they did not cause.
A plastic-free future is not a dream. It is a decision. Let’s make it together.
Dr Oulie Keita is the Executive Director of Greenpeace Africa.
Safina Okumu is a Content Editor for Greenpeace International, based in Nairobi, Kenya.
