Betty Osei Bonsu is my name.

This is my plastic toxic story.

From a young age, I witnessed plastics being buried and burnt, I saw it disappear, and my mother confirmed it. Yet, 26 years later, tests reveal these same plastics are in my body.

Where did it come from? Oh, how can I forget? I sleep in it, eat and drink from it, and at times consume it unknowingly. To make matters worse, a harsh reality persists that from the production and trade of these plastics, the rich grow richer, the poor poorer, and we all grow sicker.

Plastic pollution begins at the source – the production process. Almost every piece of plastic is derived from fossil fuels like oil and gas, which generate greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change.

My travels across Africa and firsthand experience shed further light on the effect of plastic waste.

Kenya

In Kenya, a school situated near the Dandora landfill and plagued by illegal dumping and mismanaged waste was forced to close due to a surge in health problems among the students (link).

Uganda

In Uganda, I witnessed over a hundred waste pickers toiling under deadly conditions in West Africa’s largest landfill Kiteezi for daily sustenance (link).

Mali

In Mali, some communities live on the top of waste dumps, suffering from poor water quality due to groundwater contamination (link).

Ghana

Meanwhile, in Ghana, fishermen catch plastic as fish (link) but amidst this crisis, the country still imports 2.58 million tonnes of plastic every year (Ghana Business News (link)).

These observations underscore the urgent need for coordinated action, reinforced by my own Plastic Tox Test results a global campaign by Minderoo Foundation.

This test empowers one with the knowledge to reduce toxic exposures and embark on a detox journey towards a healthier lifestyle. It’s tested using one’s urine for plastic chemicals including bisphenol, paraben, phthalate and oxybenzone. My results came out in concentrations of MEDIUM as compared to other Million Marker users and national data.

Total of 13,000

Chemicals identified by UNEP as associated with plastics and plastic production. What other evidence do you need? This is an urgent call to action to ban toxic chemicals in all virgin and recycled plastics, including additives and transition to a toxic-free and sustainable circular economy.

As part of the solution I was advised against using fragrance products including personal care products, cleaning products, air fresheners, perfumes, candles, etc.

But then ladies and gentlemen, I don’t want to walk in this room smelling. This means my action to smell is not enough but should be a joint effort. But if we don’t want to smell then we all here have to make our stance on the global plastics treaty to ensure strong regulations on the plastic waste trade, set mandatory targets to cap and dramatically reduce virgin plastic production and provide sustainable alternative solutions to plastic packaging.

In addition to these demands, CSO/NGOs, coalitions and youth are demanding a Global Plastics Treaty that:

  • would hold polluting corporations and plastic-producing countries accountable

  • presents a vital opportunity to move away from the existing linear take-make-waste packaging economy and enable the flow of financial resources

  • sets legally binding, time-bound, and ambitious targets to implement and scale up reuse and refill to accelerate the transition away from single-use plastics

  • provides a just transition to safer and more sustainable livelihoods for workers and communities across the plastics supply chain, including those in the informal waste sector; and addresses the needs of frontline communities affected by plastic production, incineration, and open burning.

These demands showcase the commitment of grassroots organisations like the Green Africa Youth to environmental sustainability and community development.

Through our efforts to promote social inclusion and foster youth participation, we are creating equitable policies and promoting generational sustainability. This is done through our projects like the Youth Climate Councils and Zero Waste Cities at local and global stages. While the world can draw valuable lessons from these actions, there remains much to be done. We further demand the enhancement of youth capabilities to empower them to negotiate for a future that is fairer, more equitable and free from plastics.

I proceeded to discuss the findings of my plastic test with family and friends, but they were surprised and questioned the possibility of such results (about 95 per cent of them). Their doubt underscores that developing a Global Plastics Treaty on its own is insufficient; we must also commit to educating grassroots communities about the impact of plastics to truly effect change. The plastic crisis is a toxic crisis, impacting everyone from the elderly to the young and even future generations. After discovering these toxins in my own body, the question isn't whether I should advocate for a robust and effective global treaty, but why are we not all doing so? These contaminants are not just in me; they are in all of us, from the oceans to our meals. Ladies and gentlemen, a comprehensive and equitable global plastics treaty isn’t just a need; it’s a birthright.

Betty Osei Bonsu is my name. This is my plastic toxic story.

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