On June 5, 2025, the African continent once again stood up for the planet, lending its voice and energy to World Environment Day under the rallying cry to Beat Plastic Pollution.
From the southern coasts of South Africa to the savannahs of Nigeria, and the forests of Angola to the bustling streets of Kinshasa, governments, citizens, environmentalists, and corporate players rallied around one of the most urgent challenges of our time: plastic.
More than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year. Half of it is designed for single use, and less than 10% is recycled. The rest end up polluting rivers, lakes, forests, streets, and eventually lungs, bloodstreams, and food. Plastic is no longer just a convenience; it is a crisis.
For Africa, which bears the brunt of global environmental injustice, the message was loud and clear: the time for awareness has passed. The time for coordinated, community-powered, government-backed action is now.
From Landfills to Loyalty Points: South Africa’s Recycling Wins.
In South Africa, the corporate world joined the fight with impact. Retail giant Pick n Pay announced that its Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) initiative had diverted over 1.1 million recyclable items from landfill since its pilot began in 2018. With 39 RVMs now spread across four provinces, the program has not only kept over 80,000 kg of waste out of landfills but also rewarded customers with more than R135,000 in loyalty points.
“This program has shown that people are willing to recycle when it’s made convenient, accessible, and rewarding,” said Riley van Rooyen, Pick n Pay’s Sustainability Lead. “Ending plastic pollution isn’t a one-day project. But this initiative proves that scalable, community-led environmental solutions work.”
It wasn’t just a corporate checkbox. Through beach cleanups, waste reduction drives, and a significant 38% reduction in packaging weight, Pick n Pay exceeded its targets under the Plastic Pact 2025, signaling that businesses can be part of the solution, not just the problem.
Angola warns of falling forests and choking rivers
In Angola, World Environment Day had a more sobering tone. Cornélio Sitongua Bento, Head of the Environmental Department at the Justice and Peace Commission of CEAST, didn’t mince words.
“Angola, Africa, and the world need immediate and coordinated action to avoid irreversible damage,” he told ACI Africa. He highlighted the triple threat facing Angola: deforestation of the Miombo forests, unregulated urban sprawl, and environmentally disastrous mining practices.
The Miombo forests, which are vital carbon sinks and biodiversity reservoirs, are being depleted by illegal logging and unsustainable farming practices. “Losing the Miombo forests deepens poverty and worsens climate conditions,” Bento said. “Agroforestry is the answer. We must plant and protect, not plunder and pollute.”
In diamond-rich regions like Luele and Cuango, mining is poisoning rivers and displacing communities. Open pits left behind become deadly traps; contaminated water sources ripple through the ecosystem and into households.
Bento called for stricter regulation, transparent corporate accountability, and public pressure to force change. “Every institutional and individual choice matters,” he said. “This is not a spectator sport. This is our home.”
Rwanda: Leading by Example
When it comes to environmental policy, Rwanda consistently sets the bar on the continent. Having banned plastic bags in 2008 and single-use plastics in 2019, Rwanda marked World Environment Day 2025 with a focus on citizen responsibility.
“Segregate waste at the source. Say no to single-use plastics. Support innovators and recyclers,” urged Jean Nduwamungu, a forestry expert at the University of Rwanda. “Plastic isn’t just a nuisance it’s a crisis.”
The Rwanda Environment Authority echoed that sentiment, reminding citizens that every action counts. From the hills of Kigali to remote villages, the message was the same: plastic pollution is everyone’s fight.
Kinshasa calls for unity
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, provincial Environment Minister Leon Mulumba used the day to urge unity.
“Let’s get together government, partners, citizens and make the fight against plastic pollution a reality in Kinshasa.”
The DRC is home to the Congo Basin, the second-largest rainforest in the world, which is under mounting pressure. Deforestation, illegal dumping, and industrial pollution pose significant threats to both biodiversity and public health.
Nigeria: Planting Trees, Picking Trash, Raising Voices
In Nigeria, World Environment Day saw grassroots and government efforts intertwine. In Kano State, Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Dahiru Hashim, called for “coordinated efforts” to reduce plastic waste.
At a local event, tree planting and plastic waste collection formed the symbolic backbone of the state’s contribution. “Plastic is cheap, durable and deadly in the long run,” Hashim warned. “Its degradation period outlasts lifetimes.”
UNICEF’s Rahama Farah added global context, noting that plastic pollution now threatens the very food and water systems we depend on. Kano’s event tied in with UNICEF’s Green Rising initiative, which mobilizes youth for climate action, and is rolling out green skills programs to empower the next generation of climate leaders.
Greenpeace Africa Takes the Fight to Coca-Cola
In Johannesburg, Greenpeace Africa staged a creative protest outside Coca-Cola’s offices. Activists, clad in dramatic costumes made of plastic waste, unveiled a 3×3 metre bottle cap sculpture, confronting the beverage giant’s status as the world’s top plastic polluter for the sixth year running.
Banners reading “Cap it Coke” and “It Tastes Better in Glass” drew public attention to the contradiction of a global corporation pushing recycling rhetoric while continuing to flood markets with single-use plastics.
It was a visual gut punch. And it landed.
Inger Andersen: “Plastic Does Not Belong in Society”
From the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Inger Andersen, UN Under-Secretary-General, minced no words: “Plastic does not have a role to play in society.”
The data is damning: plastic production accounted for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Of that, 90% came from fossil fuels. Plastic is not just a pollution problem; it’s a climate problem. And it’s growing.
So what’s next?
The theme of World Environment Day 2025, “Beat Plastic Pollution”, was not meant to be symbolic. It was a provocation. A challenge to go beyond the hashtags, the tree-planting photo ops, and the sanitized CSR videos.
If Africa is to truly beat plastic pollution, it must do what it does best: lead through innovation, community, and courage.
It must:
- Invest in circular economies that make waste a resource, not a burden.
- Educate communities about microplastics, health risks, and climate consequences.
- Enforce regulations that penalize polluters and reward innovators.
- Promote sustainable alternatives not just trendy imports, but homegrown solutions that fit local contexts.
- Support the youth, because they are the ones who will live longest with the consequences of today’s policies.
On this year’s World Environment Day, Africa didn’t just commemorate a date. It mobilized. It organized. It protested. It innovated.
And in doing so, it reminded the world that the continent home to over 1.4 billion people is not a dumping ground, but a frontline in the global fight for environmental justice.
Written by Dr Florence Omisakin
