Zimbabwe’s Plastic Crisis: How Cheap Imports and Weak Regulations Fuel Environmental Degradation

At Mbare marketplace, one of Zimbabwe’s busiest trading hubs, plastic bags are everywhere. Vendors hand them out to customers, who often discard them after a single use. Many of these plastic bags are either imported from China or supplied by local Chinese-owned manufacturers—yet they fail to meet Zimbabwe’s legal standards for plastic packaging.

Despite a national ban on plastic thinner than 30 microns, except for bread packaging at 25 microns, the country is flooded with substandard plastic. Vendors like Tichaona, a trader at Mbare, admit to selling illegal plastic bags simply because they are cheaper and in high demand. “We know this type of plastic isn’t allowed, but we sell it anyway,” he says. His supplier, a Chinese company in Harare, provides these bags at lower prices, making them hard to resist.

Zimbabwean law enforcement has struggled to control the influx of cheap plastic imports from China and the rise of Chinese-owned plastic manufacturing firms. Many of these businesses exploit weak regulatory oversight to produce thinner-than-legal plastic, worsening an already critical pollution crisis.

A Market Flooded with Illegal Plastic

Plastic manufacturers are well aware of the quality requirements, but profit motives often outweigh compliance. A worker at Colour Maximal, a Chinese-owned plastic factory in Harare, confirmed that their plastic bags do not meet the 30-micron standard. “We know what the quality should be, but we never produce it,” he revealed. Independent tests conducted by Global Press Journal confirmed his claim, with some plastic samples measuring as thin as 20 microns.

Bread packaging is also falling short. Although it should be at least 25 microns, samples from Mbare marketplace showed some as thin as 6 microns—less than a quarter of the legal minimum.

The environmental impact of these thin plastics is alarming. Unlike thicker plastic, which is more likely to be reused or recycled, thinner plastic decomposes into harmful microplastics that contaminate water sources, endanger wildlife, and eventually enter the human food chain. Since 2010, improperly disposed plastics have been linked to the deaths of approximately 5,000 animals in Zimbabwe.

The Role of Chinese Investment in Zimbabwe’s Plastic Industry

Zimbabwe’s plastic industry has undergone significant changes in the last two decades, largely influenced by China’s growing presence. Under former President Robert Mugabe’s “Look East” policy, China became Zimbabwe’s biggest foreign investor. This investment has boosted manufacturing, but it has also allowed for environmental exploitation.

Imports of Chinese plastic raw materials have surged—from $10.9 million in 2012 to $54.8 million in 2023. While South Africa was once the primary supplier, Chinese imports now dominate, with manufacturers producing plastic that disregards Zimbabwe’s environmental regulations.

Tatenda Murwira, a manager at Colour Maximal, openly admitted that cost-cutting is the reason his company continues to manufacture illegal plastic. “We’re profit-oriented. It’s all about saving materials and keeping prices competitive,” he said.

Regulatory agencies, such as the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), claim they conduct routine inspections. However, Murwira stated that his factory, in operation for over a decade, has never had its products inspected.

Corruption and Weak Enforcement

Enforcement is further undermined by political and economic factors. Professor Gift Mugano, an economist at Durban University of Technology, argues that Chinese companies often operate with impunity because of their close ties to Zimbabwe’s political elite.

“They are in bed with the politicians. The Chinese work with people in high offices, so they’re kind of covered, and they don’t respect environmental laws,” Mugano explained. He describes this as a form of “neo-colonialism,” where economic dependency on Chinese investment has given foreign businesses unchecked influence over local industries.

Attempts to curb the plastic problem, such as a 20% tax on plastic bags introduced in January 2024, have been largely ineffective. Companies routinely evade these taxes just as they ignore the micron regulations. A former employee at Colour Maximal revealed that tax authorities threatened to shut down the company for nonpayment, suggesting widespread noncompliance.

A visit to another plastic manufacturer, Multiple Star (previously registered as Liwei Wang), further exposed these issues. The factory openly displayed an expired 2024 tax clearance certificate, and representatives admitted their plastic bags measured only 20 microns—far below the legal limit.

The Consequences of Inaction

With approximately 18% of Zimbabwe’s total waste coming from plastic, the country is facing severe environmental consequences. Rivers are clogged with discarded plastic, streets are littered with non-biodegradable waste, and flash floods are becoming more frequent due to blocked drainage systems.

Unless stronger enforcement measures are put in place, Zimbabwe will continue to be overwhelmed by substandard plastic. Tighter monitoring of imports, harsher penalties for noncompliance, and increased public awareness could help address the crisis. However, as long as weak governance and economic pressures persist, the country remains vulnerable to exploitation—both by foreign investors and local businesses seeking to maximize profits at any cost.