Waste Plastic, the Challenge Facing Developing Countries—Ban It, Change It, Collect It?

Godfrey, Linda K

doi:10.3390/recycling4010003

Cited by 110 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…It is therefore not surprising that the proportion of food-related packaging did not increase as the lockdown progressed, as might be the case in other countries where littering is not as prevalent. It is clear that more mitigation measures are urgently needed to prevent littering in South Africa although it is important to note that there is no single solution and each municipality should assess which measures will work best in their jurisdiction (Godfrey 2019 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Urban Street Litter in South Africa

2020

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The lockdowns instigated to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic offered a unique opportunity to assess how restrictions on human activity affect street litter. We recorded daily litter arrival rates for 50 days in two South African cities from the time of strictest lockdown through two successive easings in regulations. The strict lockdown had no marked impact on litter composition, which was dominated by convenience foods and beverages (29% by number, 34% by mass) and tobacco products (33% by number, 3% by mass). The ban on the sale of tobacco products during the lockdown did not greatly reduce the number of cigarette butts and associated packaging. Vehicle parts accounted for <1% of litter items (2% by mass) whereas household waste spilled from bins prior to or during collection accounted for 3% of litter items (14% by mass). Street litter loads decreased roughly by a factor of three during the strict lockdown. The increase in litter was gradual, suggesting a reduction in compliance with regulations as the lockdown continued. Our results show a clear link between human activity levels and littering. Highlights • Street litter loads increased threefold in two cities as COVID lockdowns eased. • Cigarette butts made up 33% of litter by number despite a ban on tobacco sales. • There is a clear link between human activity levels and littering.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Urban Street Litter in South Africa

2020

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“…This can be achieved if some major plastic consumption routes (e.g. plastic bags) are blocked through regulations or substituted with environment friendlier alternatives [46][47][48][49].…”

Section: Plastic Sufficiency Scenario and The Reduction Of Plastic Usmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ensuring sustainability in plastics use in Africa: consumption, waste generation, and projections

et al. 2019

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Background: Currently, plastic is at the top of the international agenda for waste management. Recent meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel and the Stockholm Conventions have expressed concerns over the impact of plastic waste, marine plastic litter, and microplastics, and emphasised the importance of reducing consumption and ensuring the environmentally sound management of waste plastics. This study presents the first continental historical analysis of mass importation and consumption of different polymers and plastics (primary and secondary forms, respectively) in Africa and the associated pollution potential. We identified, collated and synthesised dispersed international trade data on the importation of polymers and plastics into several African countries. Results: The 33 African countries (total population of 856,671,366) with available data for more than 10 years imported approximately 86.14 Mt of polymers in primary form and 31.5 Mt of plastic products between 1990 and 2017. Extrapolating to the continental level (African population of 1.216 billion in 54 countries), about 172 Mt of polymers and plastics valued at $285 billion were imported between 1990 and 2017. Considering also the components of products, an estimated 230 Mt of plastics entered Africa during that time period, with the largest share going to Egypt (43 Mt, 18.7%), Nigeria (39 Mt, 17.0%), South Africa (27 Mt, 11.7%), Algeria (26 Mt, 11.3%), Morocco (22 Mt, 9.6%), and Tunisia (16 Mt, 7.0%). Additionally, primary plastic production in 8 African countries contributed 15 Mt during 2009-2015. The assessment showed that environmentally sound end-of-life management of waste plastics by recycling and energy recovery is in its infancy in Africa, but recycling activities and thermal recovery have started in a few countries. Conclusions: Globally, the perception is that production and consumption of plastics can only increase in the future. Solutions are needed to tackle this global challenge. Certain policies and plastic bag bans could help reduce plastic consumption in the near future, as demonstrated by Rwanda. Furthermore, there is a need for innovative solutions such as the introduction of biodegradable polymers and other alternatives, especially for packaging.

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“…Similarly, the present abundance of food wrapper/pack and cigarette butts could also be considered as an indication of future socioeconomic changes in DMNP. ese items are considered as an indication of community consumption culture [20] and visitors regularity [2,7]. Both items were the top two beach litter items reported by the Ocean Conservancy in 2017 coastal clean-up campaigns [21].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Status of the Beach Litter in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dungonab and Mukkawar Island Marine National Park in Sudan, Red Sea

Ibrahim

Osman

Eisa³

2020

International Journal of Ecology

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Information on marine litter in general and beach litter in particular from Sudan and to some extent from the Red Sea region is insufficient. The aim of this study is to assess the beach litter composition, distribution, and abundance in some selected beaches of the World Heritage Site of Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island National Park (DMNP) located in Sudan, Red Sea coast, and to examine the rate of beach litter flux and the cleanliness of its beaches in order to provide baseline information for beach litter management at DMNP. A total of 6 sites were investigated for beach litter over a 10-month period from January to October 2017 on a quarterly basis. A total of 24 collections of beach litter were performed covering a stretch of 600 m or 7700 m2 of DMNP coastline. In total, 3037 beach litter items were collected during the study time from DMNP with an overall average of 506.2 ± 409.8 items/100 m (0.4 items/m2). Plastic beach litter was the most abundant (1738 items), constituting 57.23% with an average density of 289.7 ± 242.2 items/100 m (0.23 items/m2). The beaches of DMNP were clean (CCI = 4.6) at the time of the study. The rate of flux of the beach litter decreased steadily from 21.9 to 16.43 items/100 m/day with an overall average of 18.82 ± 2.8 items/100 m/day. The gradual decrease in the net accumulation of beach litter over the period of the study suggests that the beach litter at DMNP was likely of a local land-based origin and the beaches of DMNP are not a potential sink of marine litter. The determination of the rate of flux of beach litter is a reasonable indicator of the dynamics of beach litter in DMNP. Accordingly, application of preventive measures accompanied with awareness activities and investment in plastic collection and recycling would further enhance and preserve the present status of beach cleanliness and encourage tourism activities.

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Waste Plastic, the Challenge Facing Developing Countries—Ban It, Change It, Collect It?

Cited by 110 publications

References 3 publications

The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Urban Street Litter in South Africa

The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Urban Street Litter in South Africa

Ensuring sustainability in plastics use in Africa: consumption, waste generation, and projections

Status of the Beach Litter in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dungonab and Mukkawar Island Marine National Park in Sudan, Red Sea

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