Plastic waste pollution, environmental impacts and regulatory challenges: The Cameroonian example

Abstract

This paper examines the challenges that bedevil the regulation of plastic pollution in Cameroon. Drawing on existing primary and secondary data, the paper argues that although there is an enabling legal environment for regulating plastic pollution in Cameroon, such an enabling environment disappointingly is not comprehensive and holistic to effectively combat plastic pollution owing to some pertinent reasons. Because of such reasons, the paper finds that the legal environment is timid and lends little support for effectively combating plastic pollution in Cameroon as land and marine plastics litter is continually on a hike. After demonstrating that the current legal efforts are timid and are not fit to address the current plastic pollution crisis and its associated harms, the paper recommends some key measures and pathways to effectively tackle the problem with a major one being the dire need for a comprehensive legislation that addresses plastics and the plastic pollution crisis in a holistic manner and that such legislation must be contingent on a similar global legally binding agreement that enjoins all countries to adopt, implement and enforce national plastics and plastic pollution legislation.