Combating Plastic Waste in the West Coast Of Cameroon.
By: Oben Diana Egbe Ashu
Tags: Climate Change, Environment, Marine Pollution, Waste Management, Environmental Issues

(Source: Clear Oceans Foundation Ltd, 2019, Where Mismanaged Plastics Waste is Generated)

1. Role and Objective.

The overall objective of this research article is to raise more marine litter awareness around the world. Our commitment to eradicate Marine Plastic Litter Pollution can be fueled Through a harmonious and continuous alliances with Local Governments, Non-Profit Organizations (NPO), Industries and local Nationals, equally through Massive Public Educational Awareness and multiple Outreaches.

Furthermore, this research Project equally aims at verifying and quantifying the degree of plastic waste pollution in our Marine Environment, these analyses are based on current scientific assessment of Marine liter, focusing on the West Coast of Cameroon’s Marine Environments.

The existence of Globalized frameworks for the prevention and management of Marine Plastics and developed Waste Management legislation and policies, have led to an increase in infrastructural Capacity for the fight against Marine Pollution, Thereby improving user’s ability to properly utilize and dispose plastic products, Empowering Environmental organizations for the fight against marine Pollution (Like IUCN=International Union for Conversation of Nature, Plastic Pollution Coalition and Many More) thereby enhancing and increase the Fight against Marine Plastic Pollution in Waters.

Recycling is an important aspect for the fight against Marine pollution. This project is also aiming at enhancing and exploiting different opportunities to recover plastics products for recycling and how beneficial recycling could be to our daily living in a Green Environment.

Our research findings will in the long run be so beneficial in assisting our fellow Green Environment advocators from different Sectors be it government sector, public, private institutions, NPOs and even residents.

2. Background Information

Human activities are responsible for a major decline in the world’s biodiversity and the problem is so critical that a combined human impact could have accelerated present extinction rates from 1000–10000 the natural rates (love joy 1997). Within our oceans, the threat to marine life comes in various forms such as:

* Over exploitation and harvesting,

* Dumping of waste,

* Aliens species,

* Land reclamation,

* Dredging and global climate change,

(Beatly 1991; National research council, 1995; Irish and Norse, 1996).

One form of human impact that constitute a major threat to marine life is Pollution by Plastic Debris.

Plastic Pollution: is the deposition and accumulation of plastic objects and particles e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads in the earth’s environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitats, humans and especially the marine ecosystem. Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into Micro, Meso or Macro Debris base on their size. The negative aspects of plastics are that.

* They remain in the environment for a long time,

* It cannot biodegrade,

* It only breaks down into smaller pieces.

The main source of marine plastic is land base, from Urban and Storm runoff, Sewer overflows, Beach visitors, inadequate waste disposal and management, industrial activities, construction, and illegal dumping. Ocean base plastic originates mainly from the fishing industry, nautical activities, and aquaculture.

At least 8 million ton of plastics end up in our oceans every year. Floating debris are currently the most abundant item of marine litter. Waste plastics makes up to 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep sea sediments.

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing global environmental issue adversely affecting terrestrial, coastal, and marine man-made and natural ecosystems. Not only are plastic ingestion and ghost-nets serious biodiversity threats to numerous mammals, reptiles, birds and fish, but micro-plastic has also begun to enter the human food-supply-system via the consumption of marine vertebrates and invertebrates.

Areas of massive plastic pollution include extensive marine surface areas in the north-eastern as well as southern Pacific Ocean, the northern and the southern Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, and elsewhere. The north Pacific and the Indian Ocean are believed to be the two most plastic polluted marine areas, both in terms of plastic weight and particles.

Source: Hannah Ritchie and max Roser, Sep 2018, Plastic Pollution)

The situation is quite dangerous and the problem is getting out of hand. There is no easy fix, as a lot of good individual activities have shown — the situation is rapidly worsening –

Below is projected growth of ocean Surface pollution by Microplastics at a constant increasing rate after the year 1980.

Source: Hannah Ritchie and max Roser, Sep 2018, Plastic Pollution)

a comprehensive inter-disciplinary approach is essential to generate meaningful, measurable and widespread impact. The issue is not new, and awareness raising are no longer enough. We need to

* mobilise the youth,

* raise awareness,

* enhance environmental education,

* above all implement strategies and actions to combat this dilemma.

* We need to involve Government authorities to adjust policies and practices,

* The private sector to support professional actions to clean up the mess (SDG′s2017 Report).

The 2018 theme of World Environment Day 2018 was ‘Beat the Plastic Pollution’. At UNESCO, with a view to nature conservation in reconciliation with sustainable development and human living, we are taking this issue very seriously.

A Marine Habitants feeding from plastics polluting our waters.

(Sources: Stepanie Osmanski (Green matters), Ocean Pollution by Country: See the Worst Offenders; Updated Dec, 2019)

The Bangkok Post reported about the death of a short-finned-pilot-whale, on 3rd of June 2018, killed by swallowing 80 plastic bags. According to the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (23.6.2018) 13 million tons of plastic waste enters the world’s oceans annually. It is estimated that 12 billion tons will have accumulated in our oceans until 2050. (The National Geographic June 2018 edition dedicated a comprehensive 38 pages article to plastic): We invented it — we need it — we are drowning in it. The article offers highly valuable statistical data. Accordingly, plastic production has reached an annual total amount of 407 million tons in 2015, compared to 100 million in 1980. Plastic enters the marine systems via major rivers. Asia is especially contributing to the problem with 15 of the 20 most plastic-polluted rivers located in Asia, including the Amur, Hai, Ganges, Indus, Pearl, Yangtze, and Yellow.

(Sources: Condor Ferries Ltd 2020, Ocean Pollution Impact On Humans Statistics).

Other parts of the world also contribute large amounts of plastic-waste, for example through the waters of the Niger and the Nile rivers. This is an ongoing global and highly complex issue, and there is no ‘Easy-Fix’ to improve the situation. We are all responsible.

UNESCO, with its World Network of Biosphere Reserves (BRs), as well as its capacities in the Natural Sciences, Education and Youth Mobilization (MaB Youth Forum 2017), is capable of playing a substantial role in reducing the problem, and it has a clear mandate in particular in the Major Programme

I. Natural Sciences,

II. Education, with a view to DESD.

We therefore propose a comprehensive regional approach throughout Asia/Pacific, minimizing plastic pollution via the mobilization of the youth in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. BRs are ideal places to systematically try and test existing and innovative ideas to clean up ecosystems and to keep them clean, with the involvement of Government authorities, the private sector, and young people.

Think globally — act locally, as suggested during the Rio + 20 Conference, has become a very useful approach for numerous local contributions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030 (SDGs), and that includes the SDGs of relevance for this proposal, above all SDG 12, 14, and 15. The proposal will aim at numerous and geographically widespread grass-root-activities, with a massive cumulative multiplier effect (UN plastic Initiative 2016).

Countries in Africa are increasingly adopting policies to reduce single-use plastic (SUP) pollution, yet there has been limited analysis of policies adopted by African countries. This paper reviews SUP reduction policies, specifically in West Africa. The main policy instruments used by countries in West Africa is legislative SUP bans mostly on plastic grocery bags. Of the 16 countries, 11 have instituted bans, one has a market-based instrument and rest (4) with no strategy. Bans carry hefty punishments (i.e., fines and prison sentences). However, there is limited consultation when drafting bans, no national campaigns, and limited notification (less than one year) between ban announcement and subsequent implementation. There are no provisions for re-useable alternatives.

In Africa, there are few reports of about the scale of waste entering the coastal and oceanic water. Africa has the highest population growth rate in the world, particularly in coastal areas, land base waste entering the ocean is a significant problem in Africa. Waste management is associated with the lack of infrastructure in many African countries and Cameroon in particular. In 2010, estimates of annual mismanaged waste for the African continent is 4.4 million metric tons (Elsevier B.V, 2020). A shift is happening from a linear take-make-dispose model, to a more circular approach with which plastics are being recycled, repurposed, or reused. Communities across Africa are developing new approaches focusing on identifying sources and seeking solution to waste management thus the reducing global environmental problem of marine pollution

3. Contextual Framework

The zero-waste hierarchy is the springboard to sustainability (America Environmental Health Studies Project, AEHSP; U.N 1–12–2010). A theoretical framework put forth by Bea Johnson. This theory defines the progression of policies and strategies to support the zero-waste system in combating marine plastic pollution, from highest and best to lowest use of materials. It has been used by many continents to address the level of their waste disposition (European zero waste 2013).

The zero waste was first used by Dr. Paul Palmers in 1973 resource recovery from chemicals (Palmers 2004) because reaching 0% in waste management is not possible as there is always a residue. In the zero-waste system, material flow is circular, which means the same materials are used again and again until the optimum level of consumption. No materials are wasted or under used in circular system (Murphy and Pincetl, 2013; Mason et al., 2003; Colon and Fawcett, 2006). Therefor at the end of their lives products are reused, repaired, sold, and redistributed within the system. Zero waste theory represents a shift from traditional industrial model in which waste are considered the norm, to integrated systems in which everything has its used. In this theory, the 5R′s rules where introduce which have been the base of environmental awareness. It is generally accepted that these patterns of behavior and consumers choice to plastics will lead to savings in materials and energy will benefit the marine environment.

The first stage is the reduction of our amount of waste produced. It is a call to consciousness to all nations to reduce to reduce the level of its waste production, just by avoiding the act of impulse buying can help prevent the waste of resources.

Reuse of materials is the second stage. At this level, the most important notion of ″waste nothing, use everything″ can aid in the habit of reusing. The power and ease of reusing has been disregarded. E.g. you can use the products that comes in plastic bottles or nylons to make home decorations and other useful objects. (After proper cleanup).

Recycling is not a stranger to anyone. In most MEDC′s recycling bins are almost in every city and country. Plastic objects can be recycled to produce other useful items.

At the level of recovering energy from waste, waste is used in different forms for production of different form of energy useful for the nation’s growth. This is a widespread practice. Norwegians residents are sorting their waste into various categories organics, plastics, and others. From there the organic waste is then transformed into biogas which can be use as biofuel for buses in Oslo.

Landfill is seen as the least choice. Where an area of land in the countryside reserved for the disposal of waste materials, which are then buried underground. Here, unless every effort proves futile then it can end up in landfills.

The level of plastic waste management in Cameroon is at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of the zero-waste theory, which are the; reuse, recycle, and recovery of energy from waste. Since 1982, Cameroon has been involved in different forms of plastic usage and production, noticed with its numerous plastic production companies among the MONARCH BEVERAGES; source du pays, okplast, plasticam, GCN, Hevecam(rubber), Sonam Ltd sarl, Impexcam, Poluplast, Syplast, Sofecam, and Camraw latex. Plastics are not only produced with in the nation, imported produce from other countries are been used and indiscriminately deposited causing environmental effects. At this level companies have to reduce the rate of the number of plastics produce or rather going in for the bio plastic which have adverse effects but they can decay when they are exposed to sunlight, water, and soil. Plastic pollution are more visible because garbage collection systems are more inefficient and non-existent, at this level plastic and other waste must be reused as much as possible and recycling encouraged and introduced. The Cameroon metropolitan plastic company in its effort with assistance from other international organization (One planet handle with care organization, UNEP, and other plastic conservation organization), are so far adopting plastics recycling. We are at the base level of recovering energy from waste. Steady efforts in achieving the greatest level of managing waste, the global environmental effects of plastic pollutions in coastal areas will be reduced thus protecting marine lives (Cameroon journal, panjiva-metropolitant plastic 44022893).

In order to work in line with the actions towards protecting the life’s beneath the waters in fulfillment of the sustainable development goal, goal 14.1 and the global south policies( UNDP) strict actions have to be implemented in order to protect our environment against predicted damages that may occur in the future by our actions on our environment.

4. Methodology

The methodology of this research article is qualitative. Materials for the study comprises of secondary data from a number of relevant published and unpublished works such as academic journals, newspapers, articles and reports from cooperate bodies like UNEP, FAO, WHO, UNESCO, WTT, WWF, websites magazines not living out the works of eminent authors and personalities who are contributing immensely in promoting awareness about the environments and solutions to combat global environmental issues.

5. The Impacts of plastic pollution in the west coast

While the world has derived great benefit from the use of plastics, which have transformed people’s everyday lives, the negative ecological effects and adverse impact on health from their misuse and overuse cannot be overlooked:

I. Impacts on marine Environments

Plastics impacts on marine environment are more visible and disturbing because of ingestion, suffocation, and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabird, whales, fishes, and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey. Majority die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris. This also cause them to suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim and internal injuries. Floating plastics also contribute to the spread of invasive marine organism and bacteria which disrupt the ecosystem.

II. Impact on food and health

Chemicals used in the production of plastic materials are carcinogenic and poisonous when interfered with the body’s endocrine system, causing reproduction development, neurological and immune disorders in both humans and wildlife.

Toxic contaminants accumulate in plastic material because of prolonged exposure to seawater or sunlight. By this, when marine organism ingests plastic debris, this contaminant enter their digestive systems and over time impede accumulate in the food web. This toxic contaminant is been transferred from marine species to humans through consumption of sea food and having a danger effect on humans.

III. Impact on climate change

As years come by, we realize the great increase in the global atmospheric temperature. Plastics, being petroleum products also contribute to the global greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, thereby increasing carbon emission, ice melts in artic regions, heat waves and floods.

IV. Impact on Ecotourism

Accumulated plastics waste along and in the coast damages the aesthetic value of tourist destinations, leading to decreased tourism-related income and major economic costs related to the cleaning and maintenance of the sites.

6. Conclusion

″The last fallen mahogany would lie perceptibly on the landscape and the last black Rhino would be obvious in its loneliness, but a marine species may disappear beneath the waves unobserved and the sea would seem to roll on the same as always″ (Ray, 1988, P.45)

Ultimately, all sectors of the community should take their individual steps. Thinking globally and acting locally is a fundamental attitude to reduce such an environmental threat, combining legislation and the enhancement of ecological consciousness through education will likely be the best way out. Therefore, the public and its scientific community have also a responsibility of ensuring the government and business change their habits towards this problem. For it is nevertheless certain that the environmental hazards that threaten the oceans such as plastic pollution must be urgently.

7. Recommendations and way Forward

Legal efforts have been made at the international and nation level to address marine pollution. The most important are the 1972 convention on the prevention of marine pollution by dumping waste and other matter London Convention, the 1996 protocol to the London convention the London Protocol and the 1978 protocol to the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships MARPOL. However, compliance with these laws is still poor, partly due to limited financial resources to enforce them. Existing international legally binding instruments should be further explored to address pollution.

Global concern and public awareness regarding the impacts of plastic on marine environment are to be on a constant increase. Plan actions must be made by the government and other organizations on community actions on collecting plastics yearly along the coastal areas. The United Nation Environment Program UNEP considers plastic marine debris and its ability to transport harmful substances as one of the main emerging issues affection the environment. At the 2015 G7 summit in Bavaria, Germany the risk of micro plastics was acknowledge in the leader’s declaration. Therefore, strict actions must be taken to reduce the foreseen effect declared during the conference.

As plastic productions and its risk rises closer to the top of the government’s policy agenda more and more companies are trying to increase their productions to achieve maximum income. To reduce this risk, plastic trading emission taxes must be implemented for plastic companies. With this, companies producing plastic will buy permits to have legal rights to produce non bio plastics. Income raised from such tax will be used to address plastic risk and other environmental issues. Like the carbon emissions trading, some 60billion dollars in permits were traded worldwide in 2007, a number expected to grow much larger if the next U.S administration follows through the pledges to reduce America’s carbon emission.

To effectively address the issue of marine plastic, government, research institutions and industries also need to work collaboratively redesigning plastic products and other waste and rethink their usage and disposal in order to reduce micro plastic waste from pellets, synthetic, textile and tires. This will require solutions which go beyond waste management, to consider the whole life cycle of plastic products, from product design to infrastructure and household use.

Encouraging recycling and reuse of plastic materials are the most effective actions available to reduce the environmental impacts of open landfills and open air burning that are often practiced managing plastic waste. Sufficient litter and recycling bins can be placed in cities and on beaches in coastal areas to accelerate the prevention and reduction of plastic pollution.

Another way forward is research and innovation should be supported. Knowledge of the full extent of plastic pollution and its impacts would provide policy makers, manufacturers and consumers with scientific evidence needed to spearhead appropriate technological, behavioral and policy solutions. It would also accelerate the conceptualization of new technology, materials, or products to preplace plastics.

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By: Oben Diana Egbe Ashu, An Environmentalist Aspirant, Buea, Cameroon. September 28, 2020.