Ethiopia confronts packaging waste crisis amid rising animal welfare concerns

A new research initiative in Ethiopia is set to investigate the problem of plastic ingestion among donkeys and develop strategies to ensure animal welfare.

Ethiopia is home to the world’s largest donkey population — around 10.6 million animals — many of which forage among dumped waste for food. According to the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), 79% of the country’s plastic waste is not recycled or incinerated, instead accumulating in dumps, landfills, waterways, and along roadsides.

Dr. Getachew Mulugeta, veterinarian and senior lead for global research and education at The Donkey Sanctuary, and Tilahun Haile, education program and partnership manager at The Donkey Sanctuary Ethiopia, tell Packaging Insights: “The plastics most frequently ingested by donkeys are thin PE shopping bags. These materials are particularly attractive to donkeys due to their residual odour or the presence of food remnants.”

“Such plastics may be either empty, having previously contained consumables, or still partially filled. In addition, food wrappers and discarded packaging materials are also frequently observed among ingested items.”

Legislative measures

This June, the Ethiopian government introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags to tackle the plastic crisis, imposing fines of up to 5,000 birr (US$35) on individuals found using or distributing such packaging, and heavier penalties on manufacturers and distributors. The measure builds on a national plastic waste management strategy launched by the EPA in 2024.

Researchers say that Donkeys are among the most severely affected by pollution, as they are rarely supplemented with feed and are often left to roam freely.“The implementation of sustainable and practical waste management strategies is essential to reduce or prevent the exposure of donkeys and other animals to hazardous discarded plastics,” Mulugeta and Haile say.

They highlight that further interventions should include the total prohibition of plastic packaging, particularly single-use plastics, and securing major open dumpsites by installing perimeter fencing, controlled gated access, and windbreak barriers to prevent lightweight plastics from being dispersed into grazing areas.

Adoption of the 4Rs framework (Reduce, Reuse, Recover, Recycle) is also necessary to minimize plastic consumption, encourage the use of reusable alternatives, promote the systematic collection of plastics from the environment, and strengthen recycling infrastructure.

The experts also suggest implementing EPR policies to ensure that manufacturers and importers are held accountable for post-consumer plastic waste.

Furthermore, they stress it is important to strengthen public-private partnerships by fostering collaboration among non-governmental organizations, local authorities, and private sector entities to expand and enhance waste collection and recycling initiatives.

Interventions on urban waste dumps

The study on the impact of the plastics crisis on Ethiopia’s working donkeys and other land animals will be led by The Donkey Sanctuary Ethiopia in partnership with Addis Ababa University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture. The research is scheduled to commence early next year and will employ different scientific methods.

The researchers aim to collect comprehensive data to assess the extent of pollution, identify risk factors, and propose sustainable solutions.

Currently, clinical records show that cases of colic linked to plastic pollution are more common in donkeys living in urban areas than in those from rural areas. At the organization’s two clinics, in Addis Ababa’s Merkato district and Bishoftu, plastic-related colic is one of the most frequently treated cases.

“Community-based interventions are of paramount importance in mitigating the morbidity and mortality of working donkeys resulting from plastic ingestion,” the experts say.Plastic waste can clearly be seen in the feces extracted from donkeys at the clinic.

They add that the interventions should focus primarily on awareness creation of donkey owners or users regarding the “detrimental effects of plastic ingestion on the health and welfare of donkeys, as well as on the critical role of proper waste disposal practices.”

“Given that this problem predominantly affects urban and peri-urban donkeys where access to grazing land is limited and exposure to refuse dumps is common, providing a safe grazing zone or alternative feed resources is essential to reduce their exposure to waste disposals.”

“Collaborative efforts among equine welfare organizations and relevant government agencies, such as municipal authorities and the Ministry of Agriculture, are crucial to ensuring the development and maintenance of a clean and safe environment for animals.”

Prevention of animal suffering

The researchers say the donkeys brought to veterinary clinics are likely to represent a small fraction of the true scale of the problem. 

Intestinal impaction or obstruction caused by ingested plastics often leads to fatal outcomes. More donkeys are believed to die within communities without ever reaching clinics or having access to veterinary services.

“Significant veterinary intervention becomes necessary when donkeys ingest plastic materials. Ingested plastics often remain within the gastrointestinal tract for an extended period, gradually accumulating and solidifying before clinical signs become evident. By the time the animal attempts to expel the material, considerable damage to the gastrointestinal tract may already have occurred,” Mulugeta and Haile explain.

“Consequently, the mortality rate associated with plastic ingestion is typically high. Although prompt veterinary intervention may alleviate impaction or obstruction and related colic in some cases, particularly when presented at an early stage, treatment outcomes are not consistently successful.” 

Mulugeta and Haile note that it is essential for veterinarians to provide animal owner education on the early clinical signs of plastic impaction related colic, and the importance of timely veterinary care.

Moreover, epidemiological surveys are needed to identify predisposing factors and map major dumping sites, which will inform and implement effective preventive and control strategies.