Plastic (Part I)

About two months ago I started hearing murmurings in the market that they would no longer have “paper” for food items.  By paper they are referring to the thin quality plastic bags that we purchase everything in---sugar, flour, vegetables, peanuts, foo foo corn and use as grocery bags.  I was concerned and asked many people what the plan would be for replacing these bags.  The answer was always the same. “We will use something else.”

Non biodegradable plastic bags were officially banned April 25, but as yet we have seen no replacement bags (though we hear that biodegradable bags will be available soon).  People are using newspaper or banana leaves or just handing you your groceries without a bag. Shopping is now quite difficult unless you bring your own bags from home.

Plastic has become quite a problem here. Below are some cited effects of plastic:

• Plastic bags constitute 10% of the 6,000,000 tons of municipal waste generated in Cameroon annually.
• Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
• The United Nations Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of the ocean.
• Plastic bags are often mistakenly ingested by animals, clogging their intestines which results in the death by starvation. 
• Greenpeace says at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered.

The pictures show a promotional hat to encourage people to take care of the environment, by not using plastic.

The bags you see in one picture have soap in them.

The paper cone in one picture is how I now buy my egussi (pumpkin seeds—used in many sauces here).

I am not the greatest environmentalist, but here it is easier to see the effects of plastic.  In our house, we have three trash bins----one for compost, one to burn, and one to take to the dumpster (downtown).  I am surprised to see what people try and burn here - coke bottles, coffee cans, glass. There is no recycling that I know of (though people us liquor bottles to sell peanuts in).  I am glad that Cameroon is taking these steps to improve the environment of this beautiful country.  I hope that recycling will be the next step and that new bags come SOON.

-Joy