(Addis Chamber, July 9, 2024) Every year around six million tons of plastic waste will be released to the local environment in Ethiopia and out this only the meager part, six percent will be recycled leaving the vast majority to be abandoned affecting human health, flora and fauna, a new study finds out.
This is highlighted during a training workshop hosted by Addis Chamber with the support of DI.
As one of the key areas of intervention, Addis Chamber undertakes diverse projects to promote circular economy among its members to enable them competitive in today’s global market that requires stringent ESG standards and practices under the wider circular economic framework, says Seyoum Chane, Deputy Secretary General from Addis Chamber in his opening remark.
The workshop also highlights food and beverage industries to take the lead in consuming huge amount of plastic as input for packing their produce and yet the culture of recycling is at infant level among industries, says Mihiret T/Mariam from PETCO Ethiopia, works on waste management.
Despite the existing laws and proclamation on environmental pollution including plastic waste, the challenges associated with plastic pollution remains unabated affecting human health and water bodies such as lakes, says Mihiret T/ Marima while sharing her thought on the subject matter.
According to the expert plastic waste can generate enormous job opportunities and enabler for the national economy to thrive however challenges associated with policy, infrastructure provision, lack of persistent input, long value chain actors of the sector along with insufficient funding for promoting plastic recycling to remained vital challenges of the sector.
With complex challenges of the sector, there need to be diverse approach to deal with plastic pollution and to promote plastic recycling, says Mihiret while suggesting for the potential solutions including enacting Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR), banning single use plastic, raising awareness of communities , promoting infrastructure for waste management and recycling schemes, viable policy framework to engage private sector on plastic recycling businesses, enhancing Public Private Dialogue and so on.