In the heart of East Africa, where the rhythm of life beats in markets and the breathtaking beauty of our land wows us, we’re facing a quiet but growing crisis. It’s a crisis you can see on our streets, in our rivers, and even on the beaches of our stunning coastlines: the overwhelming flood of textile and plastic waste. This isn’t just a problem for some distant government department; it’s a challenge that affects every single one of us, and the way we address it will define the future of our home.

Walk through any neighbourhood, and you’ll see the evidence. Plastic waste materials are clogging our drains and heaping our landfills. These piles of rubbish become a breeding ground for pests that carry disease, threatening the health of our families and communities. The problem doesn’t stop there. When this waste is burned to get rid of it, the air we breathe becomes filled with toxic fumes, something we all know and feel. And for those of us who live by the water, the sight of plastic and discarded clothing floating in our rivers and lakes is a heartbreaking reminder of the damage being done to our precious ecosystems. Our magnificent wildlife, from fish to marine animals, mistake this trash for food, leading to a slow and painful death. This isn’t just an environmental tragedy; it’s an economic one, threatening the very industries, tourism and fishing, that so many of us rely on.

But there’s another side to this story, a less visible but equally damaging issue tied to the mountains of second-hand clothing, or mitumba, that arrive on our shores. While this trade provides affordable clothes and supports many livelihoods, a considerable amount of what we receive is essentially garbage. Experts estimate that a staggering 40% of the used clothing coming into the country, much of it made from cheap, plastic-based materials, is simply unwearable. This effectively turns our nations into a dumping ground for the global fast-fashion industry. This endless stream of junk overwhelms our waste management systems and fills our landfills. Even worse, it hinders our talented tailors, designers, and textile manufacturers, preventing them from expanding their businesses and creating the jobs we so desperately need.

The good news is that we’re not standing still. Both Kenya and Tanzania have shown the world what can be achieved through their groundbreaking bans on single-use plastic bags and their widespread recycling initiatives. These are more than just laws and actions; they are a powerful statement of our commitment to protecting our environment. Now, it’s time to build on that momentum and run with it, embracing the concept of a circular economy. This means we must stop thinking of things as “use once and throw away” and start thinking about how to reuse and recycle.

You can see this change happening all around us. Clever entrepreneurs are transforming plastic waste into new, valuable products, including durable building materials and innovative fabrics. Organisations are springing up to collect old clothing and turn it into something new and valuable, creating jobs and keeping waste out of our landfills. These are not just isolated projects; they are a blueprint for a future where we see waste not as a problem, but as a resource.

Ultimately, this responsibility isn’t just for politicians or big companies. It begins with you and me. It’s in the small choices we make every day: taking a reusable bag to the market, repairing a favourite shirt instead of throwing it away, and supporting local businesses that are doing things the right way. Our choices have power. The future of East Africa, the health of our people, the beauty of our land, and the strength of our economies depend on what we choose to do with our waste today. By working together, we can build a cleaner, more prosperous home for generations to come.