Environmental experts in Cameroon have emphasized the need for waste sorting as a key strategy to combat plastic pollution.
Specialists in environmental law and waste management argue that separating biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials at the household level can significantly enhance recycling efforts and mitigate environmental damage.
Barrister Nchunu Justice Sama, an environmental lawyer, highlighted the inefficiencies in the current waste management system, and criticized the lack of waste sorting.
Addressing attendees of a recent workshop on Buea on environmental law, Barrister Nchunu said sorting will help the waste management company HYSACAM to properly dispose of waste.
“When you mix household waste with plastics and other materials, what do you want HYSACAM to do? They will only carry it and dump it somewhere,” he explained.
“But when you sort your waste, HYSACAM will know what to do with each type of waste. Tomorrow we won’t spend money to buy fertilizers. Dschang Council makes a lot of money now because they produce organic manure and sell it.”
Currently, waste is not sorted before disposal in most households across Cameroon.
This practice leads to mixed waste being dumped in general sites, severely limiting recycling potential.
Cameroon produces over 600,000 tons of plastic waste annually, but only 20 percent of it gets recycled, according to environmental NGO, ASCOA.
Local authorities say plastics are now a nuisance in their municipalities.
“Within the Municipality, it is very big problem because this material, first of all, affects the soil, they effect the health of the people; they affect the agricultural activity of the Municipality, which is mainly an agricultural community,” said Barrister Musima George, Mayor of Konye in the South West Region.
Barrister Nchunu’s organization, the Foundation for Environment and Development, has been at the forefront of advocating for waste sorting as a solution to plastic pollution.
He underscored the long-lasting impact of plastics on the environment: “Plastics don’t rot. Plastics last a hundred to 200 years. And at times when you think that you don’t find them, they have degenerated into small particles known as microplastics, and they find themselves in the air that we breathe, our bloodstreams, and the food that we eat. So it’s time enough for us to rethink our activities towards plastics and switch off the plastics tap.”
During a workshop with Mayors in Buea, the South West Regional Delegate for Environment and Nature Protection, Set Ekwadi, reinforced the importance of waste sorting, suggesting it could also provide economic benefits.
He noted that people could earn passive income by selling sorted plastic waste from their households.
According to the law on environmental waste management, plastic waste producers and recyclers are obliged to buy a kilogram of plastics for FCFA 300.
However, major plastic waste producers such as Source du Pays company buy plastics at a lower rate of FCFA 100 per kilo.
The advocacy for waste sorting is part of broader efforts to address the plastic pollution crisis in Cameroon.
The successful implementation of waste sorting practices could pave the way for more effective recycling processes and environmental preservation, ultimately benefiting the entire population.
