E70M INDUSTRY’S BID TO STOP PLASTICS BAN, SAVE JOBS

LOBAMBA – As the date for the total ban on all single-use plastic carrier bags is fast approaching, the plastic industry has petitioned Parliament to stop the ban.

On Wednesday, a petition by industry players from dumpsites, recyclers, waste collectors, manufactures of plastic products and concerned emaSwati was tabled in Parliament by Kubuta Member of Parliament (MP) Masiphula Mamba. The people who will be affected, should the ban be sustained, pleaded with Parliament to intervene and save the jobs and families that would go to bed on hungry stomachs, should the ban come into effect on December 1, 2024. The dumpsite operators, recyclers, waste collectors, manufactures of plastic products in the petition requested the House of Assembly to appoint a Select Committee. They submitted four prayers to the committee.

Firstly, they urged the committee to consider making a declaration that the circular economy of plastics be not destabilised by the total plastic ban, instead maintain the continued recycling of carrier bags, pending engagements on the ban and the possible project phasing out carrier bags within a reasonable time to be agreed upon by all stakeholders. “That the select committee should consider that further investments in the plastic industry have already been undertaken and the purported total plastic ban may culminate into a possible loss of E70 million into the plastic industry and this may have an adverse economic effect on the country,” reads the petition.

Imported

They also requested that the committee consider recommending restrictions and imposition of levies of imported plastics into Eswatini, with a view of allowing for locally manufactured plastic bags.They want a phase-out of existing carrier bags within a five-year period, to allow for sustainable transition. They stated that the ban will have serious economic impacts as the E70 million industries would seize to operate. “The effects and impacts of the plastic ban on the existing economic activity such as small community collectors at the various dumpsites and industry, with over 300 waste collectors, will be impacted.

“The effects and impacts of the plastic ban on the existing manufacturing and recycling industries will lead to possible job losses, skills redundancy and possible business closures,” stated the petition. They added that the committee could investigate any feasibility and environmental impacts of alternative materials. They also requested the MPs to look into recycling programmes and their sustainability, and further research on circular economy and how other nations have successfully implemented such systems.

Solutions

Other areas that they requested the MPs to look into are options of waste management solutions as opposed to outright ban and the state of readiness for the ban of plastic carrier bags in its holistic form, among others. Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Jane Simelane, announced that the ban will be effective as of December 1, 2024. Simelane said, under the terms of the ban, all retailers, supermarkets, manufacturers and vendors will be prohibited from selling or providing free single-use plastic shopping bags to customers.

This encompasses bags made from traditional plastic materials, including polyethylene and polypropylene, regardless of thickness. She said this marked a significant step towards eliminating plastic pollution and safeguarding the planet for future generations, including positioning of the Kingdom of Eswatini as a tourism destination of choice in Southern Africa. She said the ban is in accordance with Section 89 of the Environmental Management Act, 2002. According to Simelane, the period between May and November would have allowed the manufacturers to bring in new innovations as they evolve to environmentally friendly products.

She explained that single-use plastic bags have long been a symbol of environmental harm in the country, clogging waterways, endangering livestock, and contributing to the global plastic crisis.The minister stated that global research has confirmed that microplastics are one of the leading causes of some of the emerging health risks such, as carcinogenicity and endocrine disruption in humans. When this publication asked the minister yesterday if the ministry was looking into postponing the ban as suggested by the petitioners, she requested that all question be directed to the ministry’s Communications Officer Baphelele Dlamini. At the time this report was compiled, the ministry had not responded to the questions.
 

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