Household and industrial waste collection, recycling...still a problem

Top managers and investors can make good profit in their various businesses while respecting environmental norms.

The proper collection, recycling and disposal of waste is still a problem in Cameroon but companies are given environmental permit on a daily basis. The aforementioned is the argument of Institut Afrique RSE during the 4th edition of its yearly forum dubbed the Kilimanjaro Top Managers, KTM. Placed under the theme: “Household and Industrial Waste, Environmental Constraints or Economic Opportunities,” the forum laid more emphasis on plastic waste collection and valorisation.

Following the ban in the production, distribution and use of plastic bags of less than 60 microns by the Ministries of Trade and that of the Environment and the Protection of Nature, Institut Afrique RSE carried out a survey on the socio-economic and environmental impact of the ban which they concluded was preoccupying.

The survey carried out in 15 plastic producing companies and findings presented during the 4th edition of KTM, indicated that the 15 companies have lost over FCFA six billion and laid off close to 200 employees since the ban.

To the General Manager of Institut Afrique RSE, Thierry Tene, the government did not only fail to give plastic producing companies enough time to prepare, but equally failed to secure the frontiers since the same banned plastic types still enter the country from neighbouring Nigeria and Chad to compound manufacturer’s already disturbing market situation.

With the aforementioned shortcomings, the Institute’s Chargé de Mission, Roméo Clovis Guinsom opined that the government should revisit the Ministerial Order while hoping that pre-collect by companies and household will help in the recycling process.