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.Thorough assessment needed
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.“We agree that we need to develop environmentally sound products and solutions as a matter of urgency. We also agree with the Department that the country cannot afford a knee-jerk reaction to problematic single-use plastics.
“A thorough socio-economic impact assessment is underway to measure the effect that the solutions to these problem products will have on the industry, consumers and jobs. The plastics industry provides jobs to over 60 000 South Africans and we are particularly pleased about the Department’s assurance that the solutions to single-use plastic products will not lead to job losses or the closure of businesses.
