Nestlé, Unilever, The Coca Cola Company and Diageo announced plans today (http://bit.ly/2TF9ArY) to improve the collection and recycling of plastics across Africa by launching the Africa Plastics Recycling Alliance. In their statement, these Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) companies once again bet on recycling as a solution to the global plastics crisis on the continent. 

In response to this Renée Olende, Plastics Project Lead at Greenpeace Africa (https://www.Greenpeace.org/africa/en/) has said:

“We know that we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis yet multinational corporations like Unilever and Nestlé continue to invest time and effort into end-of-pipe solutions. Single-use plastics are an outdated and unsustainable concept altogether, and it is time for these multinational corporations to show leadership and real innovation by investing their massive resources into new delivery systems of refill and reuse. 

“Africa is a critical market for these corporations and they must make real commitments to reverse the current plastic crisis instead of focusing on profits. The truth is plastics are destroying communities, harming marine life, affecting human health, and hurting our environment around the world. We need companies like Unilever and Nestlé to move away from the throwaway culture and immediately provide consumers with sustainable alternative solutions -  informed by safe and innovative delivery systems. ”