By Wallace Mawire
In a statement on World Environment Day 2025,Veritas Zimbabwe has lamented that potentially recyclable plastic is going to waste in Zimbabwe.
Veritas is a non governmental organization in Zimbabwe which provides information legal information and makes public domain information widely available.
In a statement on ending global plastic pollution on World Environment Day 2025, Veritas Zimbabwe said the problem in the country is of low recycling levels.
According to Veritas Zimbabwe, the Environmental Management Agency [EMA] states that over 300 000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually, but less than 10 % is recycled.
EMA says said most of the waste ends up in open dumpsites, rivers and burn pits.
Harare alone is alleged to generates 850 to 1 000 tonnes of waste daily, but collects just half of it, resulting in blocked drains, disease outbreaks and pollution of vital water sources like Lake Chivero.
‘Across towns and rural areas, rubbish is openly dumped on roadsides, rivers, markets and fields,’Veritas Zimbabwe said.
It said all this is inconsistent with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989) which obliges State parties, including Zimbabwe, to ensure that waste is managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
They said It is also inconsistent with section 73 of the Constitution, which gives everyone the right “to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being”.
The organization said plastic pollution disproportionately harms women and girls.
They said in many households, women are responsible for waste disposal and cooking, and often use plastic for fuel.
‘This exposes them to poisonous fumes linked to respiratory diseases, cancer and reproductive problems,’Veritas Zimbabwe said.
Veritas Zimbabwe said according to United Nations Habitat, women also form the backbone of the informal recycling economy.
They said across sub-Saharan Africa, 70% of waste pickers are women yet they work in hazardous conditions with little protection or recognition.
On World Environment Day, Veritas has called for greater investment in sustainable, decentralised waste systems and plastic alternatives,gender-responsive planning in all environmental and climate policies and transparent, equitable carbon markets with real community benefit and oversight.
Veritas Zimbabwe said plastic pollution is not only an environmental crisis, but is a social justice, gender equality and human rights issue.
On the the World Environment Day, Veritas Zimbabwe has called for the renewal of commitments to making environmental rights a reality for all.
The organization said in 1972 the United Nations General Assembly designated the 5th June every year as World Environment Day.
They said this year’s theme, “Putting an End to Plastic Pollution”, is a call to action for individuals, organisations and governments worldwide to find solutions to reduce plastic consumption and promote sustainable alternatives.
On the World Environment Day, Veritas joined the world in calling for urgent and co-ordinated action to end plastic pollution, which is a crisis that threatens health, ecosystems and future.
Veritas Zimbabwe said according to the United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], every year the world produces over 430 million tonnes of plastic, two-thirds of which becomes waste with up to 23 million tonnes ending up in aquatic ecosystems.
UNEP also recently indicated that 500 billion plastic carrier bags are used each year, which amounts to approximately 50 per cent of consumer plastics.
The World Bank has reported that the world’s largest cities generate more than 1,3 billion tonnes of solid waste annually, and plastic material amounts to nearly a third of it.
