Africa Top Success Ils font l'Afrique
The Ivory Coast Prime Minister, Daniel Kablan Duncan kills two birds with one stone by proceeding on Monday to the launching of the project of collection, processing and recycling of plastic bags. The initiative at the same time answers the need to protect environment and the unemployment serious problem. According to the Prime Minister, the project estimated at 17 billion FCFA will create 10.000 jobs at term.
Ivory Coast is a big producer of plastic bags. It produces on average 20.000 tons every year. Not degradable products, plastic bags represent the main part of household waste in Ivory Coast.
« More than 50 % of this waste (40.000 tons / year is directly evacuated in streets, whereas less than 20 % of this is recycled and sorted out. The immediate consequence of this situation is the greater pollution of environment and more particularly water and the aquatic ecosystems« , indicated the Prime Minister.
Recycling is good but ban on production and marketing of not biodegradable plastic bags is better. In Togo for example, government encourages the use of biodegradable bags and formally forbids import and manufacturing of plastic bags subject to fines.
Original text by: Roger ADZAFO
