From Dare Akogun, Egypt
The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives and the Friends of the Earth Nigeria has emphasized the potential of waste reduction and management for climate adaptation and mitigation.
The Regional Coordinator for GAIA Africa Niven Reddy gave the indication at a press briefing held on Friday at sidelines of the ongoing conference of party COP 27, with the aim of providing civil society’s perspective on Egypt’s impending announcement of its Global waste initiative 50 by 2050.
He said the initiative sets the ambition to recycle and treat at least 50% of waste produced in Africa by 2050.
According to him ” The 50 by 2050 initiative provide us with an opportunity to scale zero waste systems for climate action on Africa and around the globe.
“However this initiative can only be effective if it includes organic waste management, inclusion and recognition of waste pickers and phase out of residual waste and fundamentally moving away from incineration and other climate-polluting waste management practices that aren’t for Africa,” he said.
Also speaking at the briefing Regional Coordinator of Friends of the Earth Africa Ubrei-Joe Maimoni Mariere said
Africa is heading down a path where waste management will become a bigger burden than had been presented by COVID-19 and the climate crisis.
He said across the waste value chain in Africa, no deliberate efforts have been made to reduce waste at the source, saying despite many African countries having strong waste collection legislation, not country has been able to get it right with waste disposal plans.
He pointed that Greenhouse gas emissions are strongly linked to waste disposal, and the waste sector has been found to contribute more than 5% of global GHG emissions.
Ubrei-Joe said the Africa Waste Initiative proposal by the Egyptian government, which aims at treating and recycling 50% of the waste produced in Africa by 2050 as a way of catalysing both adaptation and mitigation solutions, is a step of utmost concern given how the waste sector is contributing strongly to the global climate crisis.
He however, said treating and recycling 50% of the waste produced in Africa is not enough because the continent will still have to battle the threats of waste to energy (WTE), and the negative impacts associated with the waste dumps and disposal sites in Africa.
“Recycling alone is not enough to address the global waste crises. For recycling to be effective , African countries need to start attacking sources of raw material extraction , stopping single-use plastic and reducing waste at the source.
“The best initiative for Africa is a “Zero Waste” plan, which constitutes the real solution that needs to be embraced as parts of the alternative by policy makers across the globe to resolve the waste and climate crises.
“Zero waste, if adopted, will:Reduce greenhouse gases, combat climate change, preserve, and restore environmental resources through increased use of compost products and reducing the need for inorganic fertilizer.
“Support a swift transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy products, as many products produced from fossil fuels would naturally be phased out since they will no longer be needed.
“All existing waste dump sites will be phased out in favour of a “resource site,” which will better support the circular economy principle.
“Help make waste management policies start working in Africa, Recognize the rights of waste pickers as a viable stakeholder in the waste management sector,” he said.
Bubacar Jallow, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources in the Gambia explained that what some may call waste is actually an incredible resource for the climate and public health.
“Composting food waste creates an effective fertilizer that can support greater food security in The Gambia in the face of changing climate,” he said.
