Substitutes for Single-Use Plastics in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Case studies from Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria
This paper assesses the economic and technical feasibility of the production, deployment and scale-up of substitutes for single-use plastics (SUPs) in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. A shift towards SUP substitutes could be one means of addressing the growing environmental and health challenges, including marine pollution, posed by the mismanagement of plastic waste in these regions. On the basis of this assessment and an evaluation of a range of potential substitute materials from a life-cycle perspective, the paper proposes specific plastic substitute options that could be considered for Bangladesh in South Asia and for Nigeria and Kenya in sub-Saharan Africa.