What the SA government is doing to hold plastic producers accountable
The environment minister emphasises the urgent action that is needed to address plastic pollution and highlights what her department is doing to contribute to this necessary change.
By Julia Evans
Globally, an estimated 353-million tons of plastic waste are produced each year, only about 10% of which is recycled. Locally, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa, a little over 2.5-million tons of plastic are produced annually. The Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) says poor waste management practices mean that as much as half of post-consumer plastic is not properly disposed of and risks leaking into the environment.
At the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) on Plastic Pollution, which took place in Paris in June 2023, 175 nations, including South Africa, reaffirmed their commitment to developing an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, by the end of 2024.
“In my view, such an international legally binding agreement aims to bring about greater accountability, cooperation and innovation between government, industry, extended producer schemes and waste reclaimers to address the plastic pollution problem,” says Minister of Forestry and Fisheries and Environmental Affairs, Barbara Creecy.
