Waste pickers at Nairobi’s Dandora landfill face repeated injuries and toxic-fume exposure as they recover material, while France 24 reported that just 7% of the plastic can be recycled.
France 24 said Dandora takes in 2,000 tonnes of waste daily. People working there salvage material for recycling, but the report said sharp objects cause frequent injuries and workers also encounter toxic fumes.
France 24 described Kenya as an early African country to prohibit plastic bags, while saying its recycling industry remains at a nascent stage.
The outlet also cited United Nations figures showing that 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide each year, with 9% ultimately recycled. The global figure measures plastic that is actually recycled, while the 7% figure refers to plastic that can be recycled.
The figures describe different stages: whether plastic is recyclable and whether it is ultimately recycled worldwide.
