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National Plastic Pollution Hotspotting Assessment for Tanzania: PlastiCoCo

The overall aim of the PlastiCoCo project is the generation of knowledge on plastic pollution (source, distribution, accumulation points and impacts) and identification of mitigation actions along the African Indian Ocean coast. Though PlastiCoCo was focused solely on Tanzania, the assessment results presented below are complementary to another IUCN plastic pollution project, Marine Plastics and Coastal Communities (MARPLASTICCs) which is funded by Sweden (Sida) and has generated assessments in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa.

In 2020, IUCN/EA Quantis performed a national plastic pollution hotspotting assessment for Tanzania. Two presentations below showcase the research results in detail (a 92-page report) and a shorter key messages report. The plastic pollution hotspotting data is presented for polymers, sectors, applications, waste management and regional areas within Tanzania that were discovered from the use of the methodology presented in the UNEP/IUCN National Guidance for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting and Shaping Action. Instruments and interventions for action are also shared for consideration by decision makers to address plastic pollution.

Key take-aways from the research in Tanzania include

315 thousand tonnes of plastic waste were generated in Tanzania in 2018.
Per capita plastic waste generation is around 5.6 kg/year which is lower than the world average of 29 kg/year.
It is estimated that only 40% of the plastic waste is collected.
Because there are no sanitary landfill and incineration facilities, there is no proper disposal of waste in Tanzania.
96% of the plastic waste is mismanaged and can potentially leak to the oceans, rivers and lakes of Tanzania.
29 thousand tonnes of plastic leaked to the ocean, rivers and lakes in 2018 in Tanzania.

The most critical polymers found in Tanzania were PET, polypropylene, high-density- and low-density polyethylene. Waste management across the entire country is the primary focus of interventions and methods for addressing the plastic leakage. To learn more, please read the following reports.

Interventions proposed to address plastic leakage in Tanzania include

Intervention Class	Priority Intervention
Sustainable Consumption and Lifestyles	Reduce littering in urban areas Reduce demand for and use of single use plastics
Waste Collection Systems	Reduce open burning of plastic waste Ensure recuperation of used fishing gear Ensure plastic waste has enough value to cover collection costs (for all polymers)
Waste Infrastructure	Increase capacity for proper waste disposal (sanitary landfills if other upstream solutions cannot be applied)

Tanzania summary at a glance Photo: IUCN

Figure 1. The context for Tanzania, showing the 2018 Global View of Plastic Pollution in Tanzania, Plastic Pollution Hotspots in Tanzania and Actions and Interventions Proposed. From IUCN/ EA QUANTIS, 2020, National Guidance for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting and Shaping Action, Country Report Tanzania.

Link to Full Report

Link to Key Messages Short Report

Link to News item on the PlastiCoCo workshop where these results were presented to multiple stakeholders.

For more information, please see:

IUCN “Close the Plastic Tap" Programme

The UNEP IUCN National Guidance for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting and Shaping Action

The Modules and Tools used for the research

The Introduction Webinar, 1 October, 2020

Workshop press in Daily news-Tanzania magazine

Workshop Zoom recording:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vuynw9f6e87se9u/Tanzania%20Workshop%20video.mp4?dl=0

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