Plastic saves lives in West Africa, and destroys ecosystems
Ian Packham’s latest video report from Ghana looks at the devastating impact of the water sachets two-thirds of people rely on, then gets the lowdown on a recycling project revolutionising the waste stream.
According to UNICEF, 76% of households in Ghana are at risk of drinking water contaminated with faecal matter. One-in-10 people spend more than 30 minutes a day accessing improved water sources, 11% of the population still drink from surface and other unsafe sources, and just 4% of families treat water properly before drinking it. 93% don’t treat their water at all.
For many, plastic water sachets provide a vital lifeline to keep them hydrated in the searing heat. But with no recycling or circularity policies in place, the West African country, like many of its neighbours, is now drowning under a plastic pollution crisis that sees single use water packs simply thrown on the floor after they have been drunk. From there, they end up in the drainage system, which leads to rivers and finally the sea.
Annually, around 12million tonnes of plastic winds up in the world’s oceans, and the vast majority of this — an estimated 9.5million tonnes — started its journey on land. Travelling on the tides, packaging begins to break down into smaller microplastic pieces, and scientists believe there are around 51trillion of these minute fragments now floating around the planet, weighing in at a combined 269,000 tonnes.
While many Ghanaians rely on water sachets to survive, there’s currently no circular or recycling scheme in place for the country. But one organisation wants to significantly reduce the level of plastic pollution entering the biosphere. Travelling to their headquarters, adventurer and conservationist Ian Packham gets the lowdown on Trashy Bags Africa, and the fight to reduce harmful litter and support the needs of a vulnerable population.