Phatsa Sakho Nawe Campaign – what have we learnt?

February 22, 2023
The Phatsa Sakho Nawe Campaign encouraged shoppers to bring their reusable bags.

The Phatsa Sakho Nawe Campaign encouraged shoppers to bring their own bags.

UNDP/Gonzalo Bell

About two years ago, UNDP Eswatini supported the testing of a national strategy to reduce pollution in the Kingdom by minimising the circulation and usage of single-use plastic bags. Plastic pollution was a primary concern in a country where only three retailers used to distribute two million single-use plastic bags to shoppers in one month. As a result, using its innovative wing, the Accelerator Lab, UNDP partnered with Eswatini Environment Authority under the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs to design and roll out the Phatsa Sakho Nawe Campaign. The campaign encouraged shoppers to bring their bags while discouraging retailers from issuing single-use plastic bags.

This documentary unpacks the campaign results – from reducing plastic pollution and protecting the environment to saving livestock, creating a sustainable source of livelihood for women and the youth and helping Eswatini to accelerate progress towards achieving its global targets in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.