Environmentalists meet in South Africa to stem plastic waste

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Environmental activists are gathering in South Africa this week to press governments and businesses to reduce the production of plastic because it is harming the continent’s environment. The conference, “Towards Zero Plastics to the Seas of Africa,” being held in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), South Africa, through Friday is bringing together academics and experts on the plastics industry and its effects on the continent. Conference organizers, the African Marine Waste Network, say the participants are focusing on the actions needed to stop plastics from ruining Africa’s land and seas. The conference follows the United Nations Environmental Assembly’s resolution for the development of a legally binding treaty on plastic waste by 2024.