The ECOWAS Parliament Joint Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Energy and Mines, and Committee on Infrastructure, at the weekend
urged member states to harmonize their respective regulations on the treatment and management of plastic waste as well as design policy to raise awareness among populations on the dangers of plastic waste.
The committee also called on member states to adopt provisions aimed at the effective implementation of existing regulations on plastic products’ harmonization and environmentally sound plastic waste management.
The recommendations were contained in a draft report adopted by committee members at the end of the one week delocalized meeting held in Winneba, Ghana.
The Joint Committee had as theme, Plastic Waste Management: Challenges in Implementing Community Policy and the Way Forward.’
The report recommended that the ECOWAS Authority should create funds to be dedicated to organizing a circular economy for plastic waste treatment.
The Parliament was also charged with the responsibility of organizing advocacy missions to member states for implementing Regulation C/REG.17/23 – a
regulatory provision that aims to harmonize plastic products and promote environmentally sound plastic management in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.
The regulation’s key provisions include, establishment of common standards for plastic products to ensure they meet specific requirements for safety, quality and environmental sustainability; prohibition of manufacturing, importation and sale of certain single-use plastic products such as plastic bags, straws and cutlery, due to their harmful environmental impact as well as ensuring that manufacturers take responsibility for the waste generated by their plastic products, including collection, recycling and disposal.
The regulation also calls for compulsory labeling and marking of plastic products to indicate their material composition, recyclability and other relevant information; carrying out environmental impact assessment for new plastic products and production facilities to ensure they meet environmental sustainability criteria and
Establishment of mechanisms for monitoring compliance and enforcing the regulation through penalties and sanctions.
Additionally, the report urges the ECOWAS Parliament to develop mechanisms for regular monitoring of plastic waste policy implementation and conduct advocacy for establishing a policy of accountability for plastic producers within member states.
The meeting, which was headed by the Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, aimed at creating necessary awareness on the strategies developed by ECOWAS towards environmental friendliness and effective management of plastic waste.
The Director of Environment and Climate Change at the ECOWAS Commission, Koffi Bernard, said the continent remained second-largest source of plastic pollution in oceans from rivers (after Asia), contributing to about 7.8 per cent.
Bernard also pointed out that the continent could become the largest contributor to poorly managed plastic waste globally by 2050 if measures were not taken to address the issue.
He therefore called for a framework for action and to participate in international discussions and negotiations on plastic waste management.
The very engaging meeting expanded participants’ knowledge about the health hazards associated with the use of plastic.
It also spurred parliamentarians on necessary steps by way of legislations, individual and collective awareness creation strategy to stem the tide of all forms of risks linked to the use and disposal of plastics.
Declaring the meeting closed, the 3rd Deputy Speaker and host of the meeting, Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, commended his colleagues and resource persons for actively participating in the meeting and contributing their expertise and experiences towards finding lasting solutions to plastic waste management.
“The success stories shared by the various stakeholders and experts have provided us with practical insight and inspiration to adopt in the different member states of ECOWAS and scale these initiatives within our respective communities.
“Our visit to the landfill and plastic treatment plant also gave us a firsthand insight into the innovative approaches and comprehensive strategies for plastic waste management.
“This paradigm shift towards a circular economy is essential towards minimizing waste and promoting sustainable practices”, he said.
