The Environmental Protection Agency of Sierra Leone (EPASL) claims to have a commitment to addressing the plastic waste problem in Sierra Leone, but has taken few tangible steps to attack it. EPASL has no numerical data on the environmental impact of plastic waste or the amount of plastic waste in Sierra Leone, and though there is a general outline on waste management, there is no policy direction regarding plastic waste generation.
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Plastic waste is only one part of human behaviors that have been shown to contribute to climate change, but it is a visible problem in Sierra Leone. Plastic and other waste litters the streets and beaches of Freetown, and insufficient waste management exacerbates the issue. Areas in the city center that normally aren’t a flood hazard have flooded due to heavy rains and clogged storm drains. Agencies are quick to shift blame to citizens who litter plastics and other waste on the streets, but significantly lowering the amount of plastic waste generated and littered requires more than rebuke from government. The EPASL and other government agencies should be spearheading habit changes with policies and research on how these practices have affected the environment. There appears to be an intention from the new administration to begin enacting policies: according to EPASL, there is an agenda on President Julius Maada Bio’s desk regarding plastic waste that is expected to be acted upon in the next three months. Some small actions have been taken by EPASL to address plastic use, like the training of youth groups and others on how to turn waste to wealth and make things like computer bags, files and wallets with plastic bags. Sierra Leone also signed onto a treaty at the Stockholm Convention to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that went into effect in 2004. These are admittedly better than no action at all, but without regular impact assessments there is no way to know if they are making any long-term impact. Alie Dukuray Jalloh, Assistant Deputy Director of the Chemical Control and Management Department at EPASL said that the complicated nature of plastic use makes it hard to regulate and measure. “Because of the diverse nature of plastics, having exact data is difficult because you can only assume,” he said. “No institution will give you numerical data regarding plastics.” Jalloh pointed out several regulatory challenges, including the import of products from companies based in Europe, containing plastics but leave Sierra Leone to dispose of the waste. In addition, banning or taxing plastics could pose a public health risk to the country, since the accessibility and affordability of plastic water bottles and pouches helps to alleviate the spread of cholera. But these are complications that agencies should have begun tackling years ago. It’s the responsibility of government not just to talk the talk, but to walk the walk.
By Emma Scher
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