Discussions aimed at forging a global agreement to mitigate plastic waste ended in disappointment on Monday, as negotiations in Busan, South Korea, failed to achieve a consensus. Environmental organizations voiced their anger after it was revealed that oil-producing countries obstructed a proposed treaty.

“A green light has been given for plastics to keep harming our health and exacerbating the climate crisis,” stated Gerance Mutwol, a plastics campaigner with Greenpeace Africa, during an interview with African Business.

Although some media outlets reported that the Busan discussions ‘failed,’ governments collectively decided to pursue a treaty at an undetermined date next year. However, closing the divide between conflicting nations remains uncertain. The manufacturing of plastics is heavily reliant on oil; consequently, oil-rich nations, which generally have significant plastic production sectors, are concerned that a treaty may adversely impact their economies.

Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran led the opposition against a key provision of the proposed treaty, which aimed for a legally binding agreement to reduce overall plastic production. Instead, these countries argued that improving recycling efforts would adequately tackle the plastic crisis in the oceans.

At least 13 African nations—including Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria—aligned with the so-called ‘high ambition’ coalition, pushing for a more stringent treaty that encompassed binding production reduction targets. With the exception of Rwanda, which co-led the high ambition coalition, many African governments adopted a relatively low profile during the talks, failing to assert a clear position.

Characterizing the failed negotiations as a “lost opportunity,” Mutwol expressed concern that “Africa imports more plastics than it produces, and our governments’ inability to elevate ambition and secure a treaty is a betrayal to our society and a clean future for generations to come.”

‘Waste colonialism’

Mutwol highlights that Africa contributes merely 5% to global plastics production and 4% to consumption. Nevertheless, the continent is increasingly grappling with plastic pollution in its rivers and coastal regions.

This challenge is compounded by “waste colonialism,” whereby plastic waste produced in other regions is shipped to Africa. In recent years, several African governments have permitted the importation of waste from abroad, often resulting in regrettable consequences due to a lack of adequate disposal or recycling infrastructure. For instance, Senegal saw a significant rise in waste imports from the United States in 2019, following China’s ban on imported waste.

A 2022 OECD report anticipates that plastic consumption in Africa will grow at a faster pace than any other continent, with an expected sixfold increase from 2019 to 2060.

On a more hopeful note, Mutwol believes that Africa possesses the capacity to lead in tackling the plastics waste crisis.

“Africa’s traditional knowledge about refill and reuse systems can be scaled to lessen our excessive dependence on plastics in daily life,” he remarked. The continent has already launched innovative initiatives, such as Rwanda’s plastic bag ban, first implemented in 2008, which has inspired similar measures in various countries worldwide.

Meanwhile, efforts to boost plastic recycling continue in multiple African nations. Michael Bennett, a South African marine consultant affiliated with the Centre for Blue Governance at the University of Portsmouth, partially attributed the Busan talks’ failure to an “overly ambitious timeline,” but he remains optimistic that “South Africa will continue to confront plastic pollution at the national level.” He highlighted the South African Initiative to End Plastic Pollution in the Environment, established in 2019, as a crucial effort. South Africa currently recycles over half of certain plastic materials.

Despite progress at the national level, many NGOs continue to focus on achieving a global treaty. Zaynab Sadan, WWF’s global plastics policy co-lead, expressed her hope to African Business that a treaty would include provisions to phase out and ultimately ban the most harmful plastic products and associated chemicals. She advocates for standardized product designs to facilitate the reuse and recycling of plastics.

Sadan emphasizes that governments must “urgently” commit to adopting an ambitious treaty in the next round of discussions. “At the resumed session, countries must arrive prepared and ready to produce a legally binding text that genuinely sets us on a course to eradicate plastic pollution. Both people and nature cannot afford any further delays.”