The plastic industry held a workshop last week in Windhoek to discuss waste management and the effect of plastic shopping carrier bags on the environment. Plastic Packaging, the manufacturer of plastic bags in Namibia, organised the meeting.

David Hughes, the Executive Director of the South African Plastics Federation, gave a presentation on the successes and failures of the current legislation in South Africa regarding plastic bags and plastic waste management in general.
Hughes gave a comprehensive overview of the experience in South Africa regarding the regulatory environment governing the sale of shopping carrier bags, the recycling of plastic waste, energy used in the production of plastics versus other types of packaging material and waste management as it relates mainly to plastics.
The meeting accepted that the plastic bag problem was a bigger waste management problem. It also resolved that developing the plastics recycling industry as main mechanism to deal with plastics waste.
“This will benefit the country through employment creation, limit the need for the import of petroleum based raw materials and reduce the need for landfill sites,” Hughes said.
The plastic industry decided to arrange a follow-up workshop to consider the refinement and implementation of these proposals and to request the Namibian Manufacturers Association (NMA) to assist the plastics industry in driving this process.