Each year, Mauritius currently generates an amount of approximately 116,000 tonnes of plastic waste. Recycling plastic waste represents a significant challenge for our society, both environmentally and economically.
Burial and Incineration:
71,000 tonnes of waste, or 61%, are dumped in Mare Chicose. Landfills and incinerators emit their share of CO2 and poison. A large part is buried, it pollutes, smells bad, etc…
Unexplained:
However, some 42,000 tonnes per year, or 36.5% of plastic waste remains unexplained. Abandoned, dumped, leaking or unaccounted plastic waste constitutes a threat to the environment, particularly light fractions which are easily found in lagoons and oceans via rivers and canals.
The Recycling:
The quantity of recycled plastic waste is only around 3,000 tonnes per year, or 2.5%, while on average 1 tonne of recycled plastic avoids the emission of 2.29 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
The recycling of plastic waste is indeed a major challenge for our society, both ecologically and economically.
