National Action Plan to End Plastic Pollution in The Gambia.

The National Action Plan to End Plastic Pollution in The Gambia lays down five system change strategies to address the key sources of plastic pollution and to reduce annual plastic pollution in The Gambia by 86% by 2033. The strategies are as follows: (i) to eradicate single-use plastic carrier bags; (ii) to tackle other plastic bags, including water bags; (iii) to tackle single-use plastic bottles; (iv) to tackle on-the-go food and drink plastic packaging; (v) to improve solid waste collection and management. These five strategies addressing plastic pollution are supported by 13 policies and initiatives to ensure the implementation and benefits. These policies aim to prevent plastic waste at its source and enhance waste management in The Gambia.
The strategy to eliminate single-use plastic carrier bags will strengthen the existing ban by updating and reviewing it, raising public awareness, strengthening institutional capacities for the enforcement of the ban, and developing a standard for reusable bags. A competition will be launched, inviting citizens to design a ‘reusable shopping bag for The Gambia’, in order to engage public interest, and to raise awareness of the problems caused by single-use plastic carrier bags and the benefits of switching to more sustainable alternatives. The standard for reusable bags will be implemented through legislation to prevent the sales of bags that do not meet the standard in The Gambia.
Other plastic bags which are used for other purposes than shopping will also be tackled to prevent the environmental damage that they created by banning small single-use plastic bags, installing public water fountains, and improving the supply and quality of potable water.
Single-use plastic (SUP) bottles will be banned, and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will be implemented for all the other plastic bottles that have not been banned. This ban will help to prevent single-use plastic bottles for water and other beverages littering the environment and leaking into the ocean and the river. Further measures will be undertaken to reduce this waste stream, particularly in the tourist areas. A DRS on plastic bottles will encourage customers to switch to reusable, refillable alternatives and not to litter their bottles in the environment.
Plastic pollution caused by 'on-the-go' food and drinks single-use plastic items will be prevented by banning selected SUP food and drink packaging items and introducing a charge on those SUP food and drink packaging items that are not banned. Food service companies will be promoted to abandon single-use items altogether, not just plastics, and opt for reusable options. Customers will also be encouraged to bring their own reusable containers when purchasing takeaway food from local restaurants. Research will be conducted by the Government for alternatives that do not represent an additional threat to biodiversity and the environment and that are suitable for the Gambian context.
Solid waste collection and management will be improved by expanding waste collections to households and public spaces to keep The Gambia’s environment clean. Effective waste segregation at source will be developed to allow clean recyclable plastics to be separated for recycling. The standards and enforcement procedures related to the storage, transport and management of plastic waste will be enhanced to reduce litter and other leakage of plastic waste items at various points in the waste management system. An Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime will be introduced for all single-use packaging. The revenues collected through EPR will be used to support the development and operation of the infrastructure needed to collect, sort and reprocess recyclable materials.
This National Action Plan also addresses socio-economic impacts of plastic pollution, particularly on women, low-income consumers, market vendors, and waste pickers and others in the informal waste sector. To ensure a fair and inclusive transition, research will be conducted to understand the contribution of waste pickers, and the impact of plastic pollution on the poorest segments of the country - including on children’s development, and public health. Microplastics pollution will be considered in its long-term planning.