As Africa marks this year’s Africa Day, environmental groups have raised alarm over the growing influx of illegal waste shipments into the continent, describing the trend as “waste colonialism” that threatens public health, ecosystems, and vulnerable communities.
In a joint statement, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) Africa called for stronger enforcement of regional and global frameworks to halt the export of hazardous waste from developed countries to Africa.
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The groups warned that despite being shipped under the guise of recycling, the majority of waste—particularly plastics—ends up in dumpsites, with only about 9 percent of plastic ever produced globally successfully recycled.
They identified major African cities such as Accra, Nairobi, and Lagos as hotspots where illegal imports of e-waste, plastic waste, textile waste, and even toxic chemicals are piling up, posing severe environmental and health risks.
According to the statement, the continued export of waste from countries including the United States, Italy, Germany, and Greece reflects systemic inequalities that place a disproportionate burden on African nations with limited capacity to manage such materials safely.
The situation is further exacerbated by the exposure of informal waste workers, including children, to hazardous substances in dumpsites—raising serious concerns about environmental justice and human rights.
Gilbert Kuepouo of the Centre de Recherche et d’Éducation pour le Développement (CREPD) noted that Africa’s efforts to combat waste dumping remain weak, despite existing legal frameworks.
He highlighted that the Bamako Convention—a regional treaty designed to prohibit the import of hazardous waste into Africa—has only been ratified by 30 out of 55 African Union member states, with limited implementation over the past three decades.
While the Bamako Convention offers stronger protections than the Basel Convention, stakeholders say enforcement gaps and weak political will continue to undermine its effectiveness.
Hellen Dena of Greenpeace Africa stressed that the impacts of waste colonialism go beyond pollution, citing toxic exposure, carbon emissions, and worker exploitation. She called for stronger policies such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and stricter supply chain regulations to hold manufacturers accountable.
Similarly, Justine Maillot of the Environmental Investigation Agency urged strict enforcement of new European Union regulations on plastic waste exports to ensure they are not only symbolic but effective in stopping shipments to Africa.
Jim Puckett of the Basel Action Network emphasised the need for stronger advocacy, noting that while Africa has historically resisted waste dumping, more decisive action is needed to tackle the growing plastic crisis.
The groups also called for global action to address plastic overproduction, stressing that prevention must be central to ongoing negotiations for a global plastics treaty.
They urged African governments to fully implement the Bamako Convention, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and take a united stance against illegal waste imports.
“Africa is not a dumping ground,” the statement declared, warning that future generations must not bear the consequences of global waste mismanagement.
The call comes amid increasing global attention on environmental justice and the need for equitable solutions to the climate and pollution crises affecting developing regions.
