TZ pushes for tougher global plastic treaty over toxic chemicals

DAR ES SALAAM: AS the world moves closer to finalising a legally binding global treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution, Tanzania is increasingly placing human health and environmental safety at the centre of the conversation, particularly over the growing concern surrounding hazardous chemicals found in plastic products used every day.

From bottled drinking water and juice containers to food packaging and household storage materials, plastics have become deeply woven into modern life.

Yet behind their convenience lies a dangerous reality: many plastic products may contain toxic chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenols, substances now drawing serious concern from environmental experts, scientists, and policymakers.

This issue took centre stage during a stakeholders’ workshop held in Dar es Salaam on recently where environmental experts, civil society actors, and industrial stakeholders met to contribute Tanzania’s position ahead of the upcoming phase of the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations.

The treaty, being negotiated under the United Nations Environment Programme’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), is designed to address plastic pollution across its full life cycle from production and design to consumption, disposal, and recycling.

UNEP confirms that the process has now reached preparations for INC-5.4, expected later this year, following the resumed fifthsession discussions held in Geneva in February 2026.

Speaking during the workshop, Senior Programme Officer from Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development (AGENDA), Silvani Mng’anya, said Tanzania must ensure the treaty addresses dangerous chemicals embedded in plastic products, particularly those that come into direct contact with food and beverages.

“Our goal is to ensure this treaty deeply considers hazardous chemicals present in plastics, especially food and beverage packaging, because these substances pose risks to both human health and the environment,” he said.

He added that, “Phthalates are chemical compounds commonly added during plastic manufacturing to make products softer, more flexible, and more durable. They are often found in packaging films, plastic wraps, and containers.

Bisphenols, including the widely discussed Bisphenol A (BPA), are used to make plastics harder, more rigid, and long-lasting.”

“Health experts have long warned that these chemicals can migrate from plastic containers into food, water, milk, and juices, particularly when exposed to heat, prolonged storage, or poor-quality production standards,” he emphasised. He mentioned that, “According to data presented by AGENDA during the workshop, Tanzania currently has no specific national regulations that set clear limits on phthalates and bisphenols throughout the entire plastic life cycle.”

While the country has made significant progress in tackling plastic pollution through regulations such as the 2019 ban on plastic carrier bags and the 2022 prohibition of plastic bottle cap seals, there remains a regulatory gap when it comes to toxic chemical content within plastics themselves.

Existing frameworks include the Environmental Management (Prohibition of Plastic Carrier Bags) Regulations, 2019, the Industrial and Consumer Chemicals (Management and Control) Regulations, 2020, and the National Environmental Policy, 2021.

However, none specifically establish maximum allowable limits for phthalates and bisphenols in consumer plastic products. This legal gap is becoming increasingly concerning as scientific studies continue to confirm the presence of these chemicals in Tanzania’s environment.

A recent study conducted along the Tanzanian coastline found measurable levels of phthalates in marine sediments, seawater, and shellfish collected from Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Mtwara, and Zanzibar, confirming the spread of plastic-related chemical contamination into aquatic ecosystems.

Researchers warn that once released into the environment, these chemicals can persist in soil, water bodies, and marine food chains, ultimately finding their way back into human consumption.

Other local studies have also raised concerns over consumer exposure through bottled water and packaged drinks sold in Dar es Salaam.

According to environmental health experts, prolonged exposure to phthalates and bisphenols has been linked to reproductive disorders, hormonal disruption, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer risks, and neurodevelopmental complications.

These substances are particularly known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, meaning they interfere with the body’s hormonal systems by affecting estrogen and testosterone regulation. AGENDA Executive Secretary Dorah Swai stressed that the solution must begin at the source. And in environmental science, we are taught that solutions must begin at the source.

“We cannot continue producing products with hazardous chemicals and then later try to control the damage after they have entered the market,” she remarked. “Globally, plastic production continues to rise at alarming levels.

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According to international environmental estimates, the world produces more than 460 million tonnes of plastic every year, with millions of tones ending up in oceans and land ecosystems annually,” she factored out. “Environmental groups argue that unless the forthcoming treaty includes strict controls on toxic additives such as phthalates and bisphenols, the world risks solving one problem while leaving another equally dangerous one unresolved,” Mrs Swai explained.

She noted, “The country hosts plastic manufacturing facilities, recycling plants, and receives imported plastic products, all of which may contain varying grades of these chemicals depending on quality standards.”

One of the participants Theophil Andrew from PETpro-Tanzania emphasised the importance of stronger laws and innovation in safer manufacturing technologies.

“We need stronger policy and legal frameworks that regulate these chemicals and encourage the use of safer alternative technologies in plastic production,” he said.

He added that Tanzania’s participation in the treaty discussions offers an opportunity to influence global standards while simultaneously strengthening domestic regulations.

“As the world prepares for the decisive next phase of negotiations, Tanzanian stakeholders are calling on the government, environmental authorities, manufacturers, and international delegates to push for a treaty that protects people and ecosystems across the entire plastic life cycle,” he mentioned.

For many experts, this is no longer only an environmental issue it is a human health emergency hidden in everyday convenience. From the water people drink to the food they store, the invisible chemicals in plastics may be silently shaping the future health of communities.

With treaty negotiations approaching a critical conclusion later this year, Tanzania’s voice may prove vital in ensuring that the final agreement not only tackles visible plastic waste, but also the toxic chemicals embedded within it.