The problem of littering in Africa

Aside from political unrest, poverty, unemployment, economic mismanagement, etc., one of the major problems in Africa is land pollution. There is so much filth – plastic waste, especially – choked in gutters and found on every corner of our streets. This problem is common in many parts of the African continent – cities, regions, countries. I am not ruling out the fact that many places – settlements, small towns, villages, etc. – in Africa are clean and well-structured. However, there is a significant amount of filth too that needs to be addressed.

This topic or matter about filth can inspire a lot of answers which pin the blame on this person or that person or the government. The problem of filth in Africa does have a lot of contributing factors – poor waste management services, lack of street bins, etc. are all minor factors of the problem. The major cause of filth in Africa or the main source of the problem is the poor attitude of the African people towards sanitation. In short, the people are the source of the problem.

Interestingly, African culture and traditions uphold cleanliness. In the diverse cultures across the African continent, a woman is much of a woman if she tidies her home well, leaving no filth. If she is up to the task of cleaning her house well, she is reckoned as a good woman or a good wife. For most African homes, sweeping is done every day in the morning and, sometimes, in the evening to ensure maximum cleanliness; and the woman of the house makes sure of that because her reputation as a woman is at stake.

However, outside the home, the streets, the playground, gutters, beaches, bushes, at the sides of the main roads, etc. filth is everywhere, comprising of litters and sometimes dead animals. Who builds up this filth or litters in these places? We, the people.

Filth builds up from the use of packaged products, especially, already-packaged food – biscuit, toffees, bread, drinks, etc – and also food sold in the streets and wrapped in poly bags or papers. People are careless about how to manage litters generated from using packaged products. Hence, they toss them about anyhow and turn a blind eye to their effects.

From my observation, men, women, and children drink sachet water and right after drinking, they drop the empty sachet on the ground or toss the empty sachet into a bush nearby or throw it to the side of the road, oblivious to the adverse effect it brings upon the environment. This continues for three or more days and the whole place – streets, playgrounds, etc. – is covered in filth. For the most part, this is how filth builds up in the environment.

Considering the fact that African leaders have very few resources to ensure daily cleaning of the streets, etc., we Africans, among all people, should desist from the habit of littering; since littering is the first step and the main cause of how filth builds up in the environment.

What are you doing to help save this beautiful continent from this problem?