Ending Global Plastic Pollution
In 1972 the United Nations General Assembly designated the 5th June every year as World Environment Day. This year’s theme, “Putting an End to Plastic Pollution”, is a call to action for individuals, organisations and governments worldwide to find solutions to reduce plastic consumption and promote sustainable alternatives.
On this World Environment Day, Veritas joins the world in calling for urgent and co-ordinated action to end plastic pollution, which is a crisis that threatens our health, ecosystems, and future. According to the United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], every year the world produces over 430 million tonnes of plastic, two-thirds of which becomes waste — with up to 23 million tonnes ending up in aquatic ecosystems. UNEP also recently indicated that 500 billion plastic carrier bags are used each year, which amounts to approximately 50 per cent of consumer plastics. The World Bank has reported that the world’s largest cities generate more than 1,3 billion tonnes of solid waste annually, and plastic material amounts to nearly a third of it.
The Problem in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, the Environmental Management Agency [EMA] states that over 300 000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually, but less than 10 per cent is recycled. Most of the waste ends up in open dumpsites, rivers and burn pits. Harare alone allegedly generates 850 to 1 000 tonnes of waste daily, but collects just half of it — resulting in blocked drains, disease outbreaks and pollution of vital water sources like Lake Chivero. Across towns and rural areas, rubbish is openly dumped on roadsides, rivers, markets and fields.
All this is inconsistent with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989) which obliges State parties, including Zimbabwe, to ensure that waste is managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. It is also inconsistent with section 73 of the Constitution, which gives everyone the right “to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being”.
Women and Waste
Plastic pollution disproportionately harms women and girls. In many households, women are responsible for waste disposal and cooking, and often use plastic for fuel. This exposes them to poisonous fumes linked to respiratory diseases, cancer and reproductive problems.
According to United Nations Habitat, women also form the backbone of the informal recycling economy. Across sub-Saharan Africa, 70 per cent of waste pickers are women yet they work in hazardous conditions with little protection or recognition.
Conclusion
As we commemorate World Environment Day, Veritas calls for:
· Greater investment in sustainable, decentralised waste systems and plastic alternatives;
· Gender-responsive planning in all environmental and climate policies;
· Transparent, equitable carbon markets with real community benefit and oversight.
Plastic pollution is not only an environmental crisis — it is a social justice, gender equality, and human rights issue. This World Environment Day, let us renew our commitment to making environmental rights a reality for all.
