TANZANIA – Environmental stakeholders have affirmed their unwavering commitment to recycling post-consumer plastic bottles, including those from beverage companies, in order to preserve the environment.
Their resolve stems from the sobering fact that only 40 percent of plastic waste in Tanzania is currently collected, with a staggering 96 percent mismanaged, posing a significant threat of leakage into the country’s oceans, rivers, and lakes.
Addressing participants at a stakeholders’ meeting on February 19, 2024, in Dar es Salaam, Nicholaus Ambwene, the country coordinator of the council and recycling initiative representing seven beverage companies and various producers of plastic packaging, underscored the collaborative efforts aimed at environmental conservation.
The beverage companies have collectively established PET Recycle Company (T) Ltd (PETpro Tanzania).
Ambwene emphasized the producers’ responsibility to collect and recycle post-consumer PET bottles used as packaging for their products, integrating them into the value chain.
He highlighted that in 2023 alone, 30,200 tonnes of post-consumer plastic bottles were collected, of which only 15,000 tonnes were recycled and exported. While PET bottles are the current focus, the initiative plans to expand to other plastic packaging and materials.
Highlighting challenges, Ambwene noted that some plastic producers have been sluggish in their environmental protection efforts.
Unlike countries such as Kenya, Tanzania lacks specific legislation governing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), relying instead on guidelines.
“Tanzania has no specific law governing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) instead, there are only guidelines, while in other countries, like Kenya, there’s a specific law,” he said.
Nassibu Kitabu, one of the plastic bottle collectors and CEO of Juza Waste Pickers Initiative (JWPI), addressed the stigma faced by collectors in society, emphasizing their crucial role in maintaining cleanliness.
“We are considered useless in the streets, while we do a great job to make sure the cities remain clean,” said Kitabu.
He called upon the government to acknowledge their contributions and provide support, recognizing waste collection as a vital income-generating opportunity that positively impacts community livelihoods.
“Waste collection is an opportunity and an income source that could save the lives of communities if this is taken positively,” he added.
Richard Gabriel from SB Plastic echoed concerns, particularly regarding colored plastic bottles, underscoring the need to address this challenge to uphold environmental cleanliness.
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