Civil society organisations have called for urgent intervention in the ban of single-use and other plastics both locally and internationally as a means to protect global ecology.
This is even as they warned that if significant changes are not made to curb plastic pollution, the weight of plastics in the ocean could exceed that of fish by 2050.
The partners Community Development Advocacy Foundation, CODAF, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Centre for Earth Works (CFEW), and
Environment Defenders Network (EDEN) made the call during a webinar tagged ‘Beyond the Plastic Ban’ held today, Thursday, 15, 2024.
In his remarks, Maimoni Mariere Ubrei-Joe, director of campaigns and administration at CODAF, stated that the plastics problem is a significant global environmental issue with vast implications for ecosystems, human health, and economies.
According to Ubrei-Joe, “I would say that the plastics problem has severe implications for the environment, human health, and economies.
“In Nigeria, the issue is aggravated by inadequate waste management infrastructure and growing consumption patterns. Tackling this challenge requires coordinated efforts at the local, national, and international levels, including better waste management practices, stronger regulations, and increased public awareness.”.
Ubrei-Joe further stressed that if significant changes are not made to curb plastic pollution, the weight of plastics in the ocean could exceed that of fish by 2050.
Reeling out statistics of plastic pollution globally, Ubrei-Joe said “As of 2023, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year. Since its mass production began in the 1950s, the world has generated around 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic, much of which has ended up in landfills, the environment, or oceans.”
He further informed that only about 9 percent of all plastic ever produced had been recycled, as the majority ends up in landfills or the environment, with around 12 percent being incinerated.
The environmentalists further informed us that an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans annually, equivalent to dumping a garbage truck of plastic into the sea every minute.
“Following this trajectory, Nigeria is one of the largest consumers of plastics in Africa, with millions of tonnes of plastic waste generated annually. Nigeria struggles with waste management, with less than 10 percent of plastic waste being recycled; this is because she lacks adequate recycling and collection facilities, resulting in most of this waste ending up in landfills or the environment,” he added.
“In coastal areas, plastic waste contributes to marine pollution, affecting fisheries and livelihoods. Inland, plastic waste clogs drainage systems, exacerbating flooding problems, particularly in cities like Lagos and Benin City.”
Also speaking, Leslie Adogame, executive director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, SRADev Nigeria globally, said the world was in a plastic regime, as the entire environment was overtaken by its impact.
Adogame stated that the impacts of plastic pollution span the ocean, wildlife, and health, among several others. Adding Nigeria is ranked 9th largest contributor of marine litter in the world among 192 countries.
While he stated that the use of plastic was not necessarily bad in itself, he noted that the bad thing about it was that we had failed to know how to manage the use of plastic.
In his words, “We have abused the use of plastics since 1945, when we began production. It’s however more complex for us in Nigeria because we are an oil producer and have access to polymax, which is a byproduct of fossil fuels, the raw materials used in the production of plastics. Recycling these products is only a false solution, as only 9 percent of plastic produced is recyclable.
He called not just for a ban on the use of single-use plastics but urged for controlled production of total plastic materials while urging that companies involved in the production must be held to account.
Speaking on the solutions, Chima Williams, the executive director of Environmental Defenders Network, Nigeria, stressed that the solution was to return to nature, stressing that nature provides everything a man needs to survive, but our greed and need for sophistication were what had brought us to the level we are.
He urged that producers of plastics be held to account and responsible for the many unnoticed deaths occurring as a result of plastic poisoning. He also called on producers to begin to label and tell the byproducts they used in the production of plastic.
Meanwhile, Emelyne Ituze, project assistant, Global Initiative for Environment and Reconciliation, Rwanda, noted that an outright ban on plastics is a possible process.
“Everyone including government, security officials, civil society, and the population in general need to play their part.
She stressed the need for strictness, noting that “there is a need for strictness, but it’s simply a
matter of changing our habits and choosing sustainable alternatives that won’t cost the earth. Together, we can beat plastic pollution and protect our health and the health of generations to come.”
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
