Agriculture is the main source of income for communities in rural Mpumalanga, in the north-east of South Africa. Goats and cattle graze freely across open, communal grasslands. But plastic bags, food wrappers, bottles and other plastic materials have become part of this environment. When the dry season arrives and fresh grass becomes scarce, hungry cattle and goats eat whatever they can find, including the plastic waste. Linton Munyai, Nomcebo Madonsela, Mwazvita Dalu and Tatenda Dalu studied how the environment responds to human disturbances. Their latest research sets out how smallholder farmers’ livestock is affected by plastic garbage and what can be done to solve the problem.
