POLICY ADVOCACY
Our programs like Zero Waste Model, Marine Litter Monitoring and Let’s Do It Tanzania campaigns focus on promoting policies and regulations that support sustainable waste management practices and protect the environment. As an organization committed to promoting sustainable waste management practices, we believe that effective policies and regulations are essential to creating a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment for all.
Our policy advocacy efforts in Tanzania include a range of activities, including conducting research and analysis to inform policy decisions, engaging with stakeholders to build support for policy changes, and providing technical expertise to inform policy development. We are focused on advocating for policies and regulations that promote sustainable waste management practices and protect the environment. Specifically, we advocate for policies that support Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the Global Plastic Treaty, the Single Use Plastic (SUP) EAC Community, Plastiki Yako Mazingira Yetu (PYMY), and the ban on plastics.
Collaboration & Partnership
We believe that policy advocacy is a powerful tool for creating lasting change. By working with policymakers and government officials, we can help to shape the policies and regulations that govern waste management practices in Tanzania, and ensure that these policies are aligned with our mission of promoting sustainability and environmental conservation. This includes advocating for policies that promote waste reduction and recycling, as well as policies that encourage the adoption of the Zero Waste model, renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Public Awareness
Our policy advocacy program also involves promoting awareness and education among the public and other stakeholders about the importance of sustainable waste management practices and environmental conservation. We believe that by educating and engaging with the public, we can build a broader constituency of support for our advocacy efforts and create a groundswell of support for sustainable waste management practices and environmental conservation.
Global/ International Policy Advocacy
The Global Plastic Treaty is a global agreement that aims to address the plastic pollution crisis by promoting measures to reduce plastic waste, increase recycling, and prevent plastic pollution from entering the oceans. By advocating for the Global Plastic Treaty in Tanzania, we aim to support the global effort to tackle the plastic pollution crisis and promote sustainable waste management practices. The treaty would provide a framework for countries to work together to address the growing problem of plastic pollution and promote sustainable waste management practices.
Regional Policy Advocacy
The Single Use Plastic (SUP) Free EAC Community is a regional campaign that aims to address the problem of single-use plastics in the East African Community. This campaign was a petition from Nipe Fagio, Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD), Global Initiative for Environment and Reconciliation (GER), and Biovision Africa (BIVA) representing Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda and other environmental stakeholders in East Africa.
We are addressing and bringing attention to the problem of plastic pollution caused by single-use plastic materials and the need for the East African Community to act fast to address the entire lifecycle of plastics. Single-use plastics create an increased hazard to East African communities and to the environment. The unregulated production of single-use plastic to wrap fast-consuming goods contributes to ill health, flooding, the climate emergency, and the strong presence of microplastics in our rivers and ocean.
We advocate for the implementation of Single Use Plastic (SUP) bans in the East African Community (EAC) community. These bans would prohibit the production, importation, and sale of single-use plastic items, which are a major contributor to plastic pollution.
National Policy Advocacy
Single-Use Plastic Ban in Tanzania
Plastiki Yako Mazingira Yetu (PYMY) is a campaign that aims to raise public awareness about the negative impacts of plastic waste on the environment and encourage individuals to take action to reduce their plastic footprint. This campaign intended at extending the plastic bag ban to include a single-use plastic ban started in 2020.
Through this campaign, we engage with the public, schools, and other stakeholders to promote behaviour change and encourage people to reduce their plastic consumption and properly dispose of waste. We advocate for a complete ban on plastics, which are a major contributor to environmental degradation and pollution. By banning plastics, we can encourage the use of more sustainable materials and reduce the amount of waste that is produced.
Waste Pickers and Waste Collectors
One of the key objectives of policy advocacy for waste pickers and waste collectors is to ensure their recognition as legitimate stakeholders in waste management systems and create an enabling environment for waste pickers and collectors through legal frameworks and supportive policies. This involves engaging with government institutions, local authorities, and waste management agencies to develop regulations that address their specific needs. Many waste pickers and collectors operate in the informal sector, facing numerous challenges such as a lack of legal protection, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. Advocacy initiatives also focus on promoting the rights of waste pickers and collectors. This includes advocating for the enforcement of labour rights, social protection measures, and access to essential services such as healthcare and education to enhance their social and economic status, granting them dignity and empowerment.
Success stories
Through our policy advocacy program, we have been able to achieve significant success in promoting sustainable waste management practices and environmental conservation in Tanzania. We have worked closely with government officials and other stakeholders to advocate for policies and regulations that banned the use of plastic bags. In 2019, the Government of Tanzania banned all plastic carrier bags of all thicknesses in a bid to reduce plastic pollution. While the plastic ban is mainly aimed at manufacturers and suppliers, travellers are also warned to not bring plastic bags into the country.
The Environmental Management (Prohibition of Plastic Carrier Bags) Regulation, 2019 are meant to impose a total ban on the import, export, manufacturing, sale and use of plastic bag carriers regardless of thickness. The Regulation was established on 17th May 2019 and its implementation started around the Country (NEMC)