Rwanda Launches National Campaign on Dangers of Single-Use Plastic Products

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  Rwanda has launched a nationwide public awareness campaign to educate its citizens on the dangers of single-use plastic products. The five-day campaign titled ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ will focus on the dangers caused by plastic pollution and try to attract private investments in environment-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics. The campaign is part of National Environment Week celebrations ahead of the World Environment Day on June 5. The campaign will run until Saturday.

The kickoff of the campaign was marked in the capital city of Kigali with a Conference on addressing plastic pollution which was attended among others by Dr. Vincent Biruta, Minister for Environment and Vincent Munyeshyaka, Minister for Trade and Industry. The Conference discussed policy solutions to combat the use of plastics and also explored business opportunities in the reduction, reuse and recycling of plastics.

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The Minister for Environment noted that the country has achieved remarkable environmental benefits since the ban on polythene bags almost a decade before. However, the use of some ‘avoidable plastic products continues to pose threat to the environment. The government is seriously considering revision of current law on plastic products, Biruta noted. As a first step in this direction, the Ministry had decided to completely eliminate the use of plastic water bottles, cups and straws within the institution. Instead, the Ministry had decided to switch to sustainable and reusable alternative products.

The ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ campaign aims to educate Rwandans about dangers of plastic, through a series of education and sensitization campaigns, to be carried out over the five-day period. It also includes community works to promote safe disposal of plastics and exhibitions on plastic recycling.

The East African country aims to take stricter measures to beat plastic pollution by working in collaboration with all stakeholders to come up with a sustainable solution.