The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its quest to make the environment of Sierra Leone safe has hosted a Plastic Treaty Dialogue.

The meeting brought together government officials, recyclers, development partners, civil society organizations, and non-governmental organizations to identify and assess options that reflect Sierra Leone’s position for the next global negotiation session, in conjunction with the outcome of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) meeting in Ottawa, Canada.

The meeting also wallows around the ongoing UN Plastic Treaty Negotiation, which aims to address global plastic pollution with a particular emphasis on its impact on the marine environment.

The EPA also convened its stakeholders to discuss the next draft treaty text that was developed with the support from the Norad – Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) under the Effective Capacity Building for Global Plastics Treaty in Africa (AFRIPAC) initiative.

The dialogue entailed an examination of the current global compiled text to see how best it aligns with Sierra Leone’s position, with an emphasis on polymers of concern and the financial mechanisms for implementation.

Contributions from stakeholders and partners were made in person and virtually detailing Sierra Leone’s mindfulness in taking a position, consideration of the factors associated with the use of single-use plastic, a careful evaluation of the proposed ban on single-use plastic, the infrastructural mechanisms in place, and the readily available alternative to either recycle single-use plastic or incentivise waste management issues.

Through working sessions, the dialogue concluded with action points that included a comprehensive study to unravel the impact of single-use plastic, the socio-economic implications, capacity building and education on waste management and the effect of plastic pollution, a policy framework to regulate and enforce compliance with global and national enacted resolutions, an incentive system to motivate investment in recycling methods, and the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).