Title: The Legal Paradox of Plastic Waste Management in Cameroon: Analyzing the Efficacy of the 2012 Law Banning Non-Biodegradable Plastic In A Context of Failed Implementation
Authors: Nana Charles NGUINDIP
NAH Anthony TETINWE
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: 189-199
Publication Date: 2026/05/28
Abstract:
This article interrogates the profound disconnect between the ambitious legal framework governing plastic waste in Cameroon and its conspicuous failure in implementation. It centers on the 2012 law banning non-biodegradable plastics as a quintessential case study of a regulatory paradox. Through a critical juridical analysis, the study dissects the multifaceted roots of this implementation gap, examining systemic weaknesses in enforcement, institutional capacity, and the law's own technical flaws. The paper further explores the complex interplay between this specific ban and Cameroon's broader environmental legislation, including the 1996 Framework Law on Environmental Management and the nascent 2024 Forestry Code, to contextualize the failure within the nation's wider governance challenges. By analyzing data and institutional reports, this article elucidates the tangible consequences of this paradox persistent environmental pollution, public health hazards, and the erosion of regulatory legitimacy. Ultimately, it moves beyond diagnosis to propose concrete, holistic recommendations for legal reform and policy realignment, arguing that resolving this paradox necessitates a shift from a simplistic prohibition towards an integrated, circular economy model for plastic waste management.