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Policy Brief: A Roadmap to A Healthy Urban Community: Uprooting The Plastic

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Yodit Y. Seyoum

04/23/2023

Examining Social Identity & Pluralism in Public Policy (PLCY699D)

Policy Brief
A Roadmap to A Healthy Urban Community: Uprooting

The Plastic Waste Crisis from Ethiopian Cities

Executive Summary

Plastic waste is a global problem that devastates the ocean, land, and human beings.

In developing countries like Ethiopia, the issue is direr due to the growing urban

population, poor recycling practices, inadequate waste management infrastructure, and

regulation. Based on key findings, there are two proposed policy recommendations to

reduce plastic consumption and waste in Ethiopia.

Key Policy Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Banning single-use plastic bags

Recommendations 2: Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT)

Background

Solid waste management is a global issue threatening life on land and, in the ocean.

The main factor in this phenomenon is the growing plastic waste that pollutes natural

habitats. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Plastic

waste can take up to 500 years to partially biodegrade, resulting in marine debris.

The production of plastics increased 230 folds from 2 million tonnes per year to 460

since 1950. Between 1950 and 2015, there were 8300 million (m) tons of plastics

produced. While 2500m is still in use and 500m is recycled, the remaining amount went to

landfill or incarcerated.
Policy Brief

While plastic waste is a global issue, the mismanagement of plastic waste is worse in

developing countries where the issue intersects with poverty. Due to the limited resources

to maintain a proper waste management system, Even though developed countries have

more plastic consumption per capita, countries in the developing world contribute more to

plastic waste.

Ethiopia, a country in the eastern horn of Africa, is the second-largest populated

country in Africa. Ethiopia not only has one of the most rapidly growing populations, but

also has one of the fastest-growing economies. As a result of this growth, waste generation

in the country has grown from 9700 tonnes/day in 2015 to 12,200/day in 2020. In African

countries like Ethiopia, 40% of the waste is not collected.

Chart 1: Ethiopia’s plastic consumption by

According to Euromap, Ethiopia's per

capita consumption of plastics has grown

exponentially from 0.6kg in 2007 to 2.6kg

in 2021. This has positioned Ethiopia as

the second-largest importer of plastic in East and Central Africa spending 17m euros per

year on plastic packaging imports. About 51% of the plastic is used in packaging, while the

remaining is used in construction, electronics, etc.

Chart 2: Ethiopia’s per capita plastic consumption

Euromap 2022 / Graph: fairtrade

This dependence on plastic has a devastating impact on the urban poor. Often

single-family households or rural migrants live in the slums of cities. Plastic waste,

including other wastes, is discarded on the streets and ends up in local creeks and lakes

where these slum housings reside. In cities like Addis Ababa, plastic waste choking up

streams has resulted in detrimental living conditions and increased flood risk. Moreover,

when collected and discarded, they go to open-air landfills near those communities

resulting in landslides that often caused loss of life and properties and air pollution with

long-term impacts.

Policy Alternatives
Thirty-four countries out of fifty-five countries in Africa have policies that ban

plastics. Neighboring countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda have taken exemplary

steps in creating policies that penalized the production and use of nonbiodegradable

plastics. On the other hand, countries like Gabon have prohibited non-recyclable bags, yet

are ineffective with limited institutional capacity to collect and recycle the plastics.

The Ethiopian Solid Waste Management Proclamation No.513/2007 Article 8, states

that it shall be unlawful to put on the market any plastic bag that is not labeled to show
Policy Brief

whether and how it is biodegradable. It also prohibits granting permits for the manufacture

of any nonbiodegradable plastic bags with a wall thickness of 0.03mm or less. However, A

study conducted on the compliance level showed that fourteen out of twenty-one

companies inspected were producing below the required 0.03-mm thickness. In addition,

most plastic bags used in the country don’t have any labels on them.

Policy Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Complete ban on single-use plastic bags

As explained above, banning single-use plastic has proven more effective in reducing

plastic waste in neighboring countries like Kenya and Rwanda than a policy requiring

allowing for recyclable bags where there is little recycling infrastructure. Therefore,

banning single-use plastics will effectively bring behavioral change while activating the

local small business mostly run by women in reusable bags. This policy will need strong

enforcement regulations to achieve the desired goals.

Recommendation 2: Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT)

With over half of the plastic consumption attributed to plastic packaging, Ethiopia

will go a long way by addressing plastic consumption by moderating the packaging

industry. It can be done by Levying taxes on entities that import and use virgin plastics for

packaging not only will encourage innovative packaging that reduces the use of plastics but

also create a revenue system where taxes can be used to fund waste management projects

in the slum communities increasing resilience in cities. Additionally, this will reduce the

amount of foreign currency spent on plastic imports.

Policy Brief

References

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