Zimbabwe is grappling with a surge of illegal plastic imports from China, leading to widespread environmental issues. Vendors in Mbare marketplace, motivated by consumer demand, continue to sell non-compliant plastic bags, many manufactured by Chinese-owned firms. Despite laws prohibiting thinner plastics, weak enforcement and profitability concerns drive continued production of harmful packaging, contributing to significant pollution and wildlife deaths.
In the bustling Mbare marketplace in Zimbabwe, plastic bags are ubiquitous, with vendors readily providing them to customers who often discard them after a single use. These bags, many sourced from Chinese companies, do not comply with Zimbabwe’s established standards for plastic packaging. Tichaona, a local vendor who provided only his first name out of concern for legal repercussions, openly acknowledges the high demand for these non-compliant bags, which are cheaper than the legal alternatives.
A manufacturing employee at Colour Maximal, a Chinese-owned company, shared that consumers might be unaware of the quality issues, as many bags are marketed as meeting the 30-micron legal requirement. However, the reality is that these plastic bags are thinner, breaching Zimbabwe’s laws which prohibit the sale of plastic packaging below a 30-micron thickness, with specific exceptions for certain bread bags.
Despite Zimbabwe’s regulations, the influx of low-priced plastic imports from China and the rise of Chinese-owned manufacturers dominate the local market. These entities often skirt the enforcement of laws, contributing to a significant pollution crisis in an already strained ecosystem. Industry veteran Donald Marumbwe expresses concern that the priority of cheaper products over quality persists.
Recent testing conducted by Global Press Journal on samples from Colour Maximal revealed that all tested bags were under the required thickness, with some as thin as 20 microns. Additionally, bags intended for bread, which should be between 25 to 30 microns, were found to measure just 6 microns. This excessive use of thin plastic, typically discarded after one use, poses a severe environmental threat, enduring for thousands of years and turning into harmful microplastics.
Tatenda Murwira, another manager at Colour Maximal, admits the company continues to manufacture thinner plastic bags for profit motives, despite legal standards. Approximately 18% of Zimbabwe’s total waste consists of improperly disposed plastics, deepening environmental issues and leading to numerous animal deaths linked to ingestion of plastic waste.
Amkela Sidange from Zimbabwe’s Environmental Management Agency stated that they conduct regular inspections to uphold standards against non-compliant plastic manufacturing. Yet, claims from Colour Maximal highlight that such inspections have not included actual quality assessments of their product. The lack of manufacturer identification on products further complicates traceability for enforcement actions.
Zimbabwe faces a significant challenge in curbing illegal plastic imports, primarily from Chinese companies that bypass environmental regulations. Despite existing laws, the demand for cheaper plastics drives manufacturers to produce substandard products. This situation exacerbates environmental degradation and poses health risks to wildlife and humans alike. Effective enforcement of regulations, coupled with enhanced public awareness about the environmental impact of plastic waste, is urgently needed to mitigate this crisis.
Original Source: www.newsday.co.zw
