An international legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution could be a game-changer for Malawi, writes Dr Tiwonge Gawa.
In April 2024, the UN member states will reconvene in Canada to continue negotiations on the Plastic Treaty. The document to be discussed is now two or three times larger than what was presented in November 2023 in Kenya. All the different options and alternatives presented are to be discussed. Each nation is going in with their targets, some that will truly impact the crisis while others will not. What is in this for Malawi really? Does it matter?
The total waste generation for the major cities in Malawi (Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba, and Mzuzu) is expected to triple by 2050. These four main cities generate more than 1,000 tons in solid waste per day. The city waste management systems are inadequate to cope with the amount of waste currently generated. Most city areas are currently serviced by an informal waste collection service if any. Plastic waste, particularly single-use items such as bottles and shopping bags, make up a large portion of the generated waste.
The country's water bodies, including Lake Malawi, are increasingly contaminated with plastic debris, endangering aquatic life and the livelihoods of communities dependent on fisheries. Furthermore, plastics are serious threats to public health, providing breeding ground for disease vectors, through toxins released when burning and from contaminating soil and water, jeopardising agricultural productivity and exacerbating food insecurity.
Irrespective of this, the Malawi courts are still yet to conclude on the injunction that forbids the government to implement the ban on thin plastics. An international legally binding treaty could be a game-changer for Malawi. It will help move the current discussion from just the "thin plastic ban" to much more important issues like advocating for limits on the production of single-use plastics, reduced entry of thin plastics into Malawi and ensuring that local companies are more transparent about what they are using in their plastic production.
Yes, this treaty does matter to Malawi, and we must play our part to ensure that it is an instrument that delivers.
At present the small efforts to recycle are hampered by the inability to separate the different plastic types as most Malawian-produced plastic has no labelling to indicate its type of plastic. This treaty will also help in shifting responsibility to manufacturers for the entire lifecycle of their products, including proper disposal and recycling, thereby providing sustainable packaging practices and reducing the burden on Malawi’s waste management systems.
A global treaty might facilitate financial aid and technology transfer to assist Malawi in developing efficient waste management systems and recycling infrastructure. International collaboration can support educational initiatives in Malawi to raise awareness about the hazards of plastic pollution, fostering a culture of responsible consumption and waste disposal. So yes, this treaty does matter to Malawi, and we must play our part to ensure that it is an instrument that delivers. As a country we need to push for a treaty that will indeed make a difference to all Malawians for the better.
