Plastics SA — Plastics SA has welcomed the Department of Environmental Affairs’ acknowledgement that government has failed to develop competent waste management facilities in the country.
The Department admitted, in Parliament yesterday, that municipalities are neither able to implement waste removal infrastructure nor exercise control over current pollution regulations.
According to the industry body this acknowledgement was an important step in the right direction. “As an industry, we have been voicing our concerns over the lack of adequate waste management infrastructure around the country.
“As a direct result, we have been battling to remove and prevent escalating amounts of plastic debris from washing up on our shores and ending up in oceans and rivers,” Plastics SA said in a statement.
The organization believes that the only way to stop plastic ending up in oceans and rivers is to create the infrastructure for consumers to recycle used plastic and other waste material.
The Department identified five problem plastic products with a short lifespan that are the biggest culprits in our environment – cutlery, stirrers, earbuds, straws and polystyrene containers.
This initiative will work together to end plastic pollution in the environment. We invite government to become our partner so that we can collaboratively develop scalable solutions to South Africa’s particular plastic pollution problem.
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