No More Plastic Bags: Africa Leading the Way

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If you have ever had the experience of being in a major metropolitan city, I am sure that the experience of seeing a dirty plastic bag caught in the branches of a tree, hanging off an electric pole or flying leisurely through the air, has offended you as much as it should.

Plastic has become one of the major hazzards to our ecosystem in this age and small steps are being taken by individuals and organizations to control the spread of the use of plastics.

Leading the charge on the continent are Rwanda and Congo-Brazaville. Six years ago, the environmental minister of Rwanda announced that the use of plastic bags was illegal. As with most things, the sale of plastic bags has gone underground since the use of paper bags is vastly more expensive, but it is a step in the right direction. They have continued to have "days of cleaning" where the nation takes the day off to pick up litter in their communities. As a result Kigali, Rwanda's capital, is one of the shining examples of a clean city.

On Wednesday, June 1st, a spokesman for the government announced that a new decree had been adopted prohibiting the use of plastic bags to pack food, groceries, water and other beverages. He said,

"For some years now, particularly in urban areas, Congo has witnessed major environmental pollution caused by discarded plastic bags which block drainage systems, causing floods and landslides"

Plastic is one of the by products of oil refining and is used to create most of the packaging of products in much of the developed World. Plastic is a non degradable product, which means that it will never rot or decay to form different compounds. Little bits of plastic have been found in the bellies of fish all over the World and plastic in general is choking water bodies and streams.

This documentary was made to help understand what they have called the life cycle of plastic. Our efforts to purchase goods that have less packaging are a step in the right direction, however it is important to continue the hard work to reduce the damage that has already been done to the delicate ecosystem that has supported the evolution of our species.

Hopefully other countries will follow in the footsteps that Rwanda and Congo-Brazaville are walking. However, for now it is important for each of us to understand the hazards associated with plastics and do our part by reducing, reusing, recycling.