Plastic Waste to Drive Economy Boost in West Africa

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Almost all the Western African countries are reportedly facing serious issues in responsibly managing plastic waste. However, experts suggest that the rising plastic pollution in the region presents golden opportunity for these countries to fuel economic growth, if managed properly.

As per estimates, five of the seventeen countries in the West African region are known to be among the top20 list of countries having the least effective plastic waste management practices. The issue of plastic pollution is not limited to West Africa alone. Every year, approximately eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in world's oceans.

Earlier in 2018, the West African countries had launched the West Africa Coastal Area Management Programme, aimed at preventing coastal erosion, flooding and pollution. The programme has received huge funding support from the World Bank. The findings of various researches conducted on plastic pollution could help the countries to spend the World Bank funds more effectively, experts noted.

The first step is to quantify the volume, type and origin of discarded plastics in coastal regions. In addition, the experts urged the governments to focus on reducing plastics from source and promoting reuse and recycling.

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