Waste Colonialism in Africa
“There is no such thing as ‘away.’ When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.” — Anne Leonard
Every time I walked past a landfill in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi, I stared at it in utter disbelief at how much waste would be present there. It would all seem so surreal as if it were from a science fiction film. A piece of land that was once beautiful, fertile, and of great potential, was reduced to a garbage disposal site—where the presence of plastic bottles, textile waste, electronic parts, and other thrown-out items was in abundance.
As I passed the site, I would catch a glimpse of the waste pickers who spend their days breathing this unbreathable air; while salvaging a piece of valuable metal or two to resell for less than a week’s worth of daily bread. These sights always broke my heart because they were never the doings of those most affected by its disastrous effects; rather, a citizen of a faraway land who disregarded the consequences of their poor waste habits, or completely disregarded the effects of their unnecessary excess consumerism practices.
While nations on the African continent declared their independence from the different colonial powers of Europe, the Global North has not quite yet lifted its power over these nations. Rather, this domination has only changed face. Today, the Global North still continues to exploit the continent’s land by using it as a dumping ground for its own waste.
This is a grave form of environmental injustice referred to as waste colonialism.
Waste colonialism can be defined as a practice in which higher-income countries export their waste to lower-income countries, most of which have inadequate waste management facilities and recycling capabilities. This waste poses a threat to the health of communities and has major impacts on the environment, resulting in land, water, and air pollution.
Italy, Germany, Greece, and the United States are higher-income countries that commonly export waste to Africa, which comes in the form of plastics, electronic waste, and textiles. Marginalized African communities have to then shoulder the burden of this waste from these higher-income countries. Waste colonialism has prevailed in many parts of Africa such as Tunisia, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana — and continues to grow as the Global North exponentially increases its waste production. For years, the problem of electronic waste in Ghana has taken headlines and continues to prevail in the Land of Gold.
The practice of illegal exporting of waste, from economically powerful countries in the Global North, to lower-income countries in the Global South, who are ill-equipped to handle this waste, is an unjust form of environmental racism. Our stance is clear: Africa is not a dumping ground. All people are valuable and deserving of clean and healthy environments, where we can thrive, with local solutions leading to the empowerment of people and economic development within the region. — GAIA, Africa Day 2021
Electronic waste in Accra, Ghana
Near the center of Accra lies the notorious e-waste (“electronic waste,” “e-scrap,” and “end-of-life electronics”) dumping site known as the Agbogbloshie dump—which is amongst the world’s largest e-waste disposal sites. Data from the Global E-waste Monitor suggests that 15,092 tonnes of e-waste are sent off to Agbogbloshie on an annual basis. Unfortunately, without intervention, this figure will only double. The Agbogbloshie dump lies near Old Fadama, an impoverished and informal settlement that is home to several migrants from Nigeria, Togo, and Burkina Faso. Though it is a risk to human health, the dump site provides a way for different individuals to make a living in Accra through waste picking, metal recovery, and informal recycling of second-hand electronics.
Incineration is a major way of managing unprofitable waste and remains in Agbogbloshie. Substances from electronics burn endlessly and this is a major cause of air pollution. Many workers have reported how unbearable it is to even breathe at the site, especially when it rains, due to the excess amounts of toxins that linger in the environment. According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, toxins such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic were present in the blood and urine samples of individuals who work at the site. These results show the dangers of the e-waste trade as it is certainly detrimental to human health and violates human rights by depriving residents of the right to a healthy environment, which includes clean water, land, and air.
The situation in Agbogbloshie is a serious case of waste colonialism manifesting itself as an environmental and human health injustice issue. Whether directly or indirectly, it targets the vulnerable, who are greatly affected. Higher-income countries such as the United States overlook the negative effects that practices of overconsumption and materialism have on a global scale. Unfortunately, these habits affect individuals who are not to blame for the masses of waste that is created. Raw materials such as tantalum, are mined from African soil and yet their final products are made for American consumption by American companies who then make a profit. When these products reach planned obsolescence, they are exported in the form of “donations” that are often substandard, which are unusable, and pollute the environment. This portrays a patronizing and colonial relationship.
Plastic waste exportation in Africa
34 African states have taken the lead in fighting against plastic pollution by enforcing laws against plastic. East African countries are geared towards becoming the first plastic-free zone, with Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya taking the lead in the enforcement of anti-plastic laws. These laws have been put in place mostly to fight against plastic and non-biodegradable bags. Failure to abide by these laws results in hard fines and charges. Unfortunately, these efforts are sabotaged by the Global North which continues to use the continent as a dumping ground for its plastic wastes and tear away the foundations of Africa’s progress. Not so long ago, American oil companies like Shell and Exxon and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) lobbied the US to pressurize the Kenyan government into easing its anti-plastic laws so that they could continue to use the country as a dustbin for plastic.
In a public letter from the ACC to US trade representatives, the ACC stated that “Kenya could serve in the future as a hub for supplying U.S.-made chemicals and plastics to other markets in Africa through this trade agreement.” This is a perpetuation of waste colonialism by the United States in Africa, which is problematic. The Global North disguises plastic exportation under the guise of recycling, however, much of the exported plastic waste is low-grade and multilayer packaging that is impossible to recycle. These plastics end up in landfills and incinerators, manifesting into false solutions, and find their way into the environment.
The United States, which never ratified the Basel Convention, a convention that prohibits toxic wastes from being exported, is among the major culprits in exporting waste including PVC plastics to many countries worldwide, particularly developing countries such as the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, and Nigeria. In 2021, the Basel Action Network (BAN) research revealed that the US was responsible for the illegal export of 136,217 kilograms of PVC waste to Nigeria, yet again committing a serious violation under the Basel Convention, polluting Nigeria’s land and placing communities at great health risks.
What should be done
Turning a blind eye to the waste colonialism that is taking place in Africa would equate to direct violations of human rights and environmental injustices. It is important to strongly emphasize that this is a grave environmental injustice, which requires immediate attention and action from the global community at large. Countries in the Global North need to take responsibility and stop using Africa as a disposal site.
It is essential that the global plastics treaty strengthens plastic trade regulations by banning the exportation of plastic waste from OECD to non-OECD countries. The Basel convention needs to be amended in order to label all plastics as hazardous waste under Annex VIII. There should also be a ban on plastic exportation for treatment using thermal methods such as incineration or plastic-to-fuel processes. The sovereignty of Africa, its land, and its people have the right to refuse shipments through prior informed consent (PIC) of the Global Basel Convention and the Regional Bamako Convention and this should not be overstepped by illegal shipments from higher-income countries.
The Basel Convention provides a great infrastructure for fighting for just and correct waste importation and exportation. These conventions help to protect environmental laws concerning waste as countries can even ship back illegal waste to its origins. Many more states must come on board in signing these conventions which will help to fight against the environmental inequity that has risen as a result of waste colonialism.
The Bamako Convention, which is in response to article 11 of the Basel Convention, permits countries to join multilateral agreements on hazardous waste to achieve the goals of the Basel convention. It is a treaty of African countries that prohibits the import of hazardous waste in Africa. The establishment of this convention testifies to the efforts to eradicate waste colonialism on the African continent by African nations.
Waste colonialism largely affects individuals such as waste pickers, informal recyclers, and communities that exist in close proximity to dumpsites. Local governments and federal authorities at large need to include these people in making decisions on the best possible waste management solutions. Moreover, there is a need for increased solidarity between environmental justice communities in the United States and those who are affected by the harmful effects of waste colonialism in Africa.
This article was written by Peace Kalomba, Bennington College Environmental Action Fellow at GAIA U.S. & Canada.
