Panick as China stops import of recycled plastics

In Uganda, Lawrence Bategeka, the MP for Hoima Municipality and vice chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on National Economy is supporting the setting up of more recycling plants in Kampala and around the country to manage the plastic waste. But he notes that it is important for the government to come up with effective regulations to manage the recycling process which could leave a negative effect on the environment.

One way of doing this, Bategeka says, would be for the government to come up with regulations which compel owners of recycling plants to neutralize or minimize the negative impacts on the population.

This is an idea Lawrence Oketcho, the head of policy and advocacy at the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) also agrees with. He told The Independent that the Chinese ban should be taken as an opportunity by local entrepreneurs.

“If we take the trouble to understand what the Chinese have been importing this plastic waste for; we can start doing the same here in Uganda,” he said.

“On one hand, the Chinese ban could be depriving us but on another it could be opening up new opportunities,” Oketcho said. Oketcho told The Independent that plastics are here to stay because they are used everywhere.

“You have containers for water; you have construction materials, food processors use plastics, cars use plastics and even the clothes we put on these days carry a good amount of plastics, so you cannot say, you will eliminate plastics.”

Unfortunately, plastics are not biodegradable. When the plastic bottles have served their primary purpose; people have no way of getting rid of them.

“The best thing to do is that we must have responsible consumers and responsible regulators,” Oketcho says.

“Plastics are now part of our lives and the best thing for us is to look for innovative ways of using plastics.”

Alfred Rwabugahya, the Business Coordinator of the Uganda Plastics Manufacturers and Recyclers Association (UPMRA) told The Independent on Jan. 09 that the association is already looking at “Plan B.”

“As UMPRA, we are not worried because we also have bigger plans for plastic waste (because) exporting plastic waste to China is not the solution to Uganda’s plastic waste problem.”

“Why should we export to China and yet we can also turn those raw materials right here in Uganda where we can create jobs and generate revenue for the government.”

He says he is aware of Chinese entrepreneurs who want to establish a manufacturing plant here in Uganda.

Rwabugahya told The Independent that the only frustrating thing at the moment is a lack of clear government position on plastics (polythene bags).

“Importing machinery that can convert those plastics into other products is quite easy,” he said.