…where do we stand now?
IN 2011 Zambia moved to ban the single use plastic bags through the then Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection. This was in line with section 58 of the Environmental Management Act No 12 of 2011.
Since then what has been done to enforce this law? As far as I’m concerned the simple answer is “very little.” What we have seen much of is that retailers are now selling the bags and nothing much else is being done to curb the use of plastic bags which continues to wreck the environment.
Manufacturers of beverages have also continued to serve their products in plastic bottles with no plan to make them recyclable. The question is, what are we doing as a society to curb this nuisance of plastic pollution?
These non-degradable plastics are a nuisance on the environment, clogging the drainage systems and causing floods in our cities and townships. Something needs to be done and done soon.
Plastic pollution is also contributing to climate change. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report a few years ago on the state of global warming and its emphasis on maintaining the 1.5 degrees capping on temperature rise to avoid catastrophic consequences arising from global climate change.
This has been adequately addressed in other articles and fora. This was extensively deliberated on at the recently held COP26 Global Climate Conference in Glasgow.
The IPCC has challenged all of us to play a role at individual level to mitigate the situation. Amongst the things that we could do as individuals is cutting of greenhouse gasses, less use of non-bio degradable products especially plastics and that is the focus of my article. I read a letter to the editor in one of the daily newspapers where the contributor wrote that global warming is actually “global warning” because God is warning us that he is upset with what is going on here on earth with all the adultery, homosexuality, rape, child abuse, senseless wars etc. As a Christian this indeed is food for thought.
By definition, a plastic is mostly a non-biodegradable product made from synthetic polymers of mainly petrochemical base. Plastic is highly moldable and as such it is preferred in production of most day to day products replacing steel, glass, wood, ceramics, the list is endless.
The very fact that most of it is non-biodegradable has become a source of worry for environmentalists and other citizens all over the world particularly single use plastic bags.
The issue of banning of plastics especially single-use plastic bags can be an emotive one, manufacturers of these plastic bags will always lobby against the ban for obvious reasons and too are customers who think they can’t do without these plastic bags.
A few years ago, Ms Sylvia Masebo, as Minister of Local Government and Housing did propagate the idea of banning plastic carrier bags from our society but I feel she was not supported enough by her fellow legislators and also by environmentalists (I being one of them) to carry the day, a huge let down it was indeed.
She only managed to have plastic wreaths at grave sites banned but alas they’re back.
The European Union has taken steps to ban the use of plastic bags, California and other states in the United Sttates too have banned single use plastic bags and closer to home, Rwanda was the first country in Africa to ban the use of plastic carrier bags but instead encourages paper bags.
Kenya went a step further and imposed a total ban on plastic use which also includes a fine and or jail term and has the world’s stiffest laws on plastic carrier bag use.
The Solid Waste Regulation and Management Bill was passed that will promote sustainable regulation and management of solid waste. The Act among others will regulate the construction of landfills and other disposal facilities in order to enhance cleanliness. Truth be told, these plastic wastes are an environmental hazard and an eyesore to say the least.
The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) established through an Act of parliament amended through the Environmental Management Act (EMA) No. 12 of 2011, must spearhead the enactment of a law banning the use and enforcement of laws governing the disposal of plastic waste,
I feel ZEMA is not doing enough on this front. Ten years on and we have seen little movement.
Lusaka City Council initiated a “No Plastic Day” and declared that this be observed on November 24 of every year and the last Saturday of each month as part of the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign.
ZEMA has welcomed this initiative but I feel it should be the one spearheading this and have all stakeholders come on board. At individual level, let us all come out in numbers and support this initiative.
Pick n Pay Stores are promoting reusable bio-degradable carrier bags which are being sold at K15 each, this is commendable and as environmentally conscience citizens we should all play our part in reducing the environmental catastrophy associated with the use of plastic bags.
If I may ask, what happened to the humble straw shopping basket that our mothers used to carry to the market? Driving to the Eastern Province recently, I stopped over at Luangwa Bridge and there one finds reed woven baskets of different shapes and sizes, why can’t we encourage the use of these instead of plastic carrier bags? This enactment will be creating jobs for our people as well.
The question remains; is Zambia as a nation doing enough to ban the use of plastic bags?
*The author is an engineer, environmentalist and technical director, JKL-Associates
