After clarifying, specifying and giving clear orders to be respected through a joint order of the Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Commerce on the regulation of manufacturing, import and of the marketing of non-biodegradable plastic packaging dating from October 24, 2012, a circular note 18 months later on April 10, 2014 in accordance with the requirements of the 2012 decree was made public or brought to the attention of public opinion and administrative authorities in order to launch the process of extinguishing a social problem whose scale in the daily lives of Cameroonians is increasingly catastrophic.

More than ten years after the launch of this muscular operation which still has the objective in addition to the ban among other things of non-biodegradable plastic packaging less than 60 microns, to make it disappear from the Cameroonian landscape, old habits persist thanks in particular to illicit marketing networks called black markets.

Firm commitments to eradicate a problem that persists

The deployment of operational teams on the ground since April 2014 has made it possible to make significant seizures which, far from having stopped the phenomenon, have weakened it somewhat because although these non-biodegradable plastic packaging continue to appear in the markets and sometimes being sold by itinerant traders in the streets, the bans and sanctions imposed on these products are known to all. No one can say that they are unaware that the marketing of non-biodegradable plastic packaging is prohibited. Even if we are more busy making money, we are still aware of being illegal. The fact of not having been personally arrested as a street vendor does not mean that one is authorized to market them. Indeed, accustomed to poorly ordered, unsanitary, deplorable activities and impunity, a good majority of Cameroonians were surprised by these measures of 2012 and 2014. Some were wondering what alternative was provided to replace these products because they are used to using them daily. Others, knowing what is recommended, were worried about the price which, according to them, was exorbitant, not accessible to all social strata, and even unsuitable because according to them, not everything can for example be packaged in packaging in papers. These normal points of view stemming from a desire not to break with old and bad habits already denoted an ignorance of the environmental damage caused by these products.

Plastic industry operators denounced the haste of this measure. We wonder what good ten additional years of patience would have brought about in the daily environment of Cameroonians? Although we should not, however, neglect the fact that this measure disrupts a sector of activity itself threatened with extinction at this precise period, it was still necessary to take into account the environmental issues of additional patience in an environment where habits are stubborn and sometimes blatantly insolent or disrespectful.

As a good professional, you must certainly defend your activity based on significant remarkable points, but you must also take into account the negative impact of this activity on the environment. The government has a duty to protect Cameroonian companies while taking into account the efforts to be made on the environmental level because professional operators of the plastics industry specified that Cameroon is a country that imports plastic products and that stopping certain imports would have the effect of consequences on income in terms of taxes and customs without forgetting to note the job losses in an environment where precarious and indecent jobs number in the millions.

But as the reasons given to defend a cause cannot always be enough to take precedence over a set of other priorities, environmental issues are more important. Non-biodegradable plastic packaging as well as waste of the same name obscures drains, contributes to flooding, the proliferation of water-borne diseases, and the development of asphyxiating and deadly odours sometimes resulting from incinerations that do not respect any ecological standards. In addition, non-biodegradable plastic packaging increases unsanitary conditions and urban disorder. They transit from one point to another under the influence of wind and rainwater to end up anywhere except where they should be, that is to say, in trash cans and incinerators. Arbitrary deposits of plastic waste continue to create artificial reliefs and remain in nature unnecessarily. Even more serious according to experts, nanoplastics (small plastic particles) and plastics can have harmful effects on the quality of soils. They can prevent plant growth by blocking the circulation of water and nutrients to the roots, contain toxic substances that can be absorbed by plants and harm human health, lead to the accumulation of heavy metals which affect crop quality.

Non-biodegradable plastics. Illustrative image : lavoixdupaysan.net

The government measure was therefore urgent and it could no longer wait because the ignorance and carelessness of consumers had already caused considerable consequences which should not be taken lightly because the plastics used and thrown into nature have become uncontrollable. And since control or more precisely mastery of manufacturing circuits is necessary to better combat the phenomenon, it was better to act as soon as possible. The joint decree of October 24, 2012 clearly defines the terms degradable, plastic, non-biodegradable, packaging, metal, glass, and granules to subsequently specify in a series of articles and in particular article 3 paragraph 1 that: “any manufacturer, importer or distributor of authorized non-biodegradable packaging is responsible for managing their waste. » Paragraph 2 specifies that he (i.e. the importer, manufacturer or distributor) provides for measures to limit production, and to promote recycling, reuse and other forms of recovery of waste from this packaging.

In the previous article we have already clarified that Cameroon's recycling capacity was nil. This firm measure aimed at forcing these actors to limit production and promote recycling and further, as specified in the second part of paragraph 2 of article 5, ensure sorting, Collections, transport, final elimination or recovery of non-biodegradable packaging waste, was really necessary in an environment where the urban and even rural landscape is infested with plastic due to irresponsible and uncivil attitudes.

To put an end to this environmental problem, those who have legal authorizations must already control what they offer to consumers. Control is to be able to say that in this area there is a certain number of plastic packaging to collect and revalue. If we are already unable to do so at the level of enterprises, how will this be possible at the consumer level? Everyone does what they want and accuses the State. And this is indeed the real culprit because the State is every one of us. If we have to accuse the government we should therefore already be able to demonstrate good citizenship by avoiding throwing plastic waste anywhere.

Anarchic garbage deposit. Illustrative image : afrik21.africa

Africa is not a trash can

Today we complain about the fact that certain foreign drinks have invaded the markets as well as the containers in which these products are packaged while the fact that this waste is found in nature is because we have accepted it. Why don't all these companies collect their waste? To answer this question we should perhaps first answer the question of why Cameroonians create garbage dumps anywhere? It is because we have adopted uncivil attitudes that plastic packaging and alcoholic beverage containers are found everywhere. The attitudes are deplorable to the point of bordering on stupidity. In other countries, those who dump garbage in non-regulated areas face fines and legal action; but in Cameroon everyone does what they want and only feels concerned by this problem when it concerns their land. In other words, you can do whatever you want elsewhere but not on my land. It is certainly among many other reasons because of this type of reductionist mentality that we have difficulty solving this problem of plastic waste effectively.

In a more or less normal society people are not only concerned about who collects the garbage, but also the destination of the garbage and the recycling of certain waste. We will perhaps say as long as there is no problem there is nothing to worry about but even in these specific cases what will be implemented so that Cameroonians no longer experience plastic waste or household waste management crises? How can we achieve this goal when individuals have taken the habit to throw whatever they want anywhere? Perhaps the first rubbish that should be taken care of are bad mentalities, that is to say, attitudes which persist despite the prohibitions at the point of necessity of the operational brigades which will certainly not succeed in putting an end to the problem because some individuals have made the scandalous choice of continuing despite everything to manufacture banned packaging that they intend to also commercialise in countries where it is banned. Most of the tons of plastic packaging seized in Cameroon come from a neighbouring country, the hub of a vast network of manufacturing and illicit trade in non-biodegradable packaging.

Also read : Plastic packaging : between necessity of use and excessive use of non-biodegradable products in Cameroon

Despite the efforts made to completely eradicate non-biodegradable packaging from the Cameroonian landscape, cargoes continue to transit to supply a network to which a good number of Cameroonians certainly belong who have chosen to preserve this profitable and at the same time devastating activity. While customs officials representing the government blame smuggling, traders and some others citizens blame customs officers, and consumers blame the government. Everyone is passing the buck for a problem that continues to persist and for which the responsibilities are shared.

Preserving nature means fighting against non-biodegradable plastic waste and mastering the traceability of products while implementing waste collection organizations in every nook and cranny of the Territory. And since some Cameroonians have a worrying mentality, it might be time to consider implementing censorship measures against those who, inside taxis or sitting on motorcycle taxis, throw plastic waste into the streets and on the sidewalks after having consumed. It is not because most of the streets in Africa are degraded and landlocked that we should behave as if Africa is a trash can.

Old habits persist on the one hand because public authorities have not yet done enough and on the other hand because populations and consumers in particular have not yet measured the extent of the consequences of their misdeeds in their living environment. Strong operations should continue not only to seize but also to raise awareness while planning censorship measures at the neighbourhood level. The 2014 circular note addressed mainly to governors, divisional, sub-divisional, regional and departmental delegates to better deploy on the ground is an invitation also made at the level of each district municipality whose inhabitants are accustomed to promiscuity and mosquitoes to take their share of responsibility in this fight because it is for the well-being of us all.

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