10,000 tonnes of plastic waste to be recycled yearly

A programme dubbed ‘Eco Collect’ will get rid of plastic waste in the national territory.

Statistics from the Ministry of Environment and the Protection of Nature shows that 600,000 tonnes of plastics are produced in Cameroon each year and not properly disposed of after use.

Following a joint communiqué of the Ministry of Trade and that of the Environment and Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, which obliges producers, importers and distributors of non-degradable plastics to put in place a collection, treatment and recycling mechanism taking into consideration environmental protection norms.

Eco Collect was born to facilitate the task for enterprises. Managers of the programme, which is under the banner of RED-PLAST, told journalists during a press dinner in Douala that plastic waste will soon leave homes, streets and rubbish can to factories for recycling.

Plastic waste of all sorts flood neighbourhoods, streets and markets causing health hazards and environmental damage when burnt or left at the mercy of rainwater for disposal.

The General Manager of Eco Collect, Rodrigue Ngonde disclosed that the programme will collect and add value to 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year, and create 1,000 direct job and 10,000 indirect jobs before the end of 2015.

The first phase of the programme, the GM said, will go operational on the 3rd of February to the 29th of August in Douala and Yaounde and its tentacles will be spread all over the country as time goes on.

The Chief of Commercial Department, Franc Nzokou, explained that the plastic waste collected will be grouped according to various categories, treated at its Yassa treatment centre and subsequently channel the treated plastic to enterprises in charge of recycling.

The plastics will either be transformed into raw material or use for the manufacturing of finish products like road tiles, plastic chairs, tables and bottles. The programme’s vision is to get rid of plastic waste on the streets and make the environment liveable.