Oil companies accused of wanting to dump plastics in Africa

Nairobi

The oil industry has asked the United States to pressure Kenya to change its world-leading stance against the plastic waste that litters Africa, according to environmentalists who fear the continent will be used as a dumping ground.

The request from the American Chemistry Council, whose members include major oil companies, to the Office of the United States Trade Representative came as the U.S and Kenya negotiate what would be the first U.S. bilateral trade deal with a country in sub-Saharan Africa.

That deal is expected to be a model for others in Africa, and its importance helped lead to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s White House visit with President Donald Trump this year — a rarity for an African leader during this administration.