Waste

The world generates enormous amounts of waste – food and garden waste, mining waste, industrial waste, sludge, old cars, batteries, plastics, sanitary waste, and the list goes on.

Poor waste management contributes to air and water pollution and affects many ecosystems and species. It has been projected that by 2050, that the volume of waste will triple from 174 million tonnes annually in 2016, to approximately 516 million tonnes across the African continent.
 

Plastic pollution is one of the most hazardous threats to the environment. With plastic waste continuing to accumulate in landfills and our oceans, tackling plastic pollution is more important now than ever before. Plastic pollution is not only contained in our oceans. It is in the air and the food that we eat. Most of the plastic entering water streams also ends up improperly disposed of at landfill sites.

Households generate a sizeable proportion of waste too, including plastic waste, paper waste, tins and metals, ceramics, liquid waste, garden and organic waste, and hazardous waste. Household waste has become one of the most significant causes of severe damage to the environment because of the copious amounts of waste discharged and the improper disposal of it.

Other types of waste include industrial waste, liquid waste, agricultural and animal waste, radioactive waste, construction debris, extraction and mining waste, oil and gas production waste, fossil fuel combustion and food waste.
 

In Africa, waste generation is driven by population growth, rapid urbanisation, changing consumption habits and production patterns. More than 90% of Africa’s waste is disposed of at uncontrolled dumpsites and landfills, usually followed by open burning.

In Central and West Africa, plastic waste is a major concern. The waste that is dumped at landfill sites discharge methane gas which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and poses large-scale risks to our atmosphere and health.

The more emissions that we produce, affects our health in the long-term. People are suffering from respiratory illnesses and other infectious diseases because of this. In addition, bacteria and vermin can also be added to the problem that trash causes.

Plastic debris and other waste dumped in water streams and oceans are impacting our marine life. Fish and other aquatic life such as dolphins, seals, penguins, and turtles cannot distinguish between what is and what isn’t food They consume the waste which cannot be broken down by their bodies often resulting in starvation and death. They also get entangled in plastic bags, ropes and even discarded fishing nets.
 

Waste management in Africa is of critical importance to public health, climate protection, and environmental preservation.

Governments, businesses, and civil society can all play a part in waste management.

The public sector should look at initiatives and investment in waste collection that can encourage and assist African communities in reducing emissions from household waste. It is encouraging to see considerable experimentation and innovation taking place in some cities with waste collection and recycling. There is significant potential for other African cities to learn from these pilot initiatives. Read more here.

Working to use recyclable or reusable packaging must be part of the roadmap for companies. In the meantime, we must collect, segregate, recycle all kinds of plastics to move towards a circular economy. It's not an easy job, but we have to do it. So as individuals, we can also play our part. Here are some ways to reduce waste
Use a reusable bottle/cup for beverages on-the-go. ...
Use reusable grocery bags, and not just for groceries. ...
Purchase wisely and recycle. ...
Compost it! ...
Avoid single-use food and drink containers and utensils. ...
Buy second hand items and donate used goods.

You can read about this topic here