By Bunmi Yekini
Image Credit: GAIA Africa
Environmental groups across Africa have called for stronger enforcement of anti-waste dumping laws and an end to what they described as “waste colonialism,” accusing wealthy nations of turning the continent into a dumping ground for hazardous and plastic waste.
In a joint statement marking Africa Day 2026, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives and Break Free From Plastic said African countries continue to bear the burden of waste exported from high-income nations under the guise of recycling.
The groups said countries including the United States, Italy, Germany and Greece export hazardous materials such as electronic waste, plastic waste and textile waste to African nations ill-equipped to safely manage them.
“Only 9% of plastic produced since the 1950s has ever been recycled,” the organisations said, warning that African communities, environments and informal waste workers are paying the price for a global system driven by environmental inequality.
The groups identified waste dumping hotspots in Accra, Nairobi and Lagos, where they said illegal imports of toxic electronics, hazardous plastics, second-hand clothing and chemical waste continue to accumulate in massive dumpsites.
They also raised concerns over the impact on children working in toxic waste sites, saying exposure to dangerous chemicals and pollution was causing severe health consequences.
Gilbert Kuepouo, Executive Director of the Centre de Recherche et d’éducation pour le Développement, said Africa was facing a “silent handicap” despite having established legal frameworks to protect the continent from hazardous waste imports.
“Thirty-five years after its adoption, the Bamako Convention counts only 30 ratifications and only three Conferences of Parties organised,” Kuepouo said. “A paradox for a region that deliberately designed this instrument to protect itself and its people against waste colonialism.”
The Bamako Convention prohibits the import of hazardous waste into Africa and is considered stronger than the Basel Convention. However, campaigners said weak enforcement and limited political will continue to undermine its effectiveness.
Hellen Dena of Greenpeace Africa said the impacts of waste colonialism ranged from toxic pollution and carbon emissions to labour exploitation.
“To fix this, we need stronger laws, like extended producer responsibility and stricter supply chain regulations, to ensure brands are held accountable from production to disposal,” she said.
Justine Maillot of the Environmental Investigation Agency urged European authorities to fully enforce new European Union rules on plastic waste shipments to ensure exports to African countries are stopped “not only on paper, but in reality.”
The groups also called on African governments to strengthen implementation of the Bamako Convention and reject illegal waste imports, while urging manufacturers in Western countries to develop sustainable waste management solutions rather than shifting environmental costs to developing nations.
Jim Puckett, Executive Director of the Basel Action Network, said Africa had already shown leadership in resisting waste trade and should now lead efforts against plastic pollution.
“Africa has led the way in saying no to waste trade. It’s time to lead in saying no to plastic,” he said.
Sirine Rached added that reducing plastic production globally was essential to solving the crisis.
“Plastic waste prevention, which begins with addressing plastic overproduction, is critical,” she said, adding that future global plastics treaty negotiations must address the issue directly.
The organisations said Africa’s future generations “must not be left to pay the price for the world’s waste,” insisting that the continent “is not a dumping ground.”