Nigeria urged to adopt biodegradable plastic materials

He made the call in Abuja Wednesday at a workshop organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment in conjunction with Abu and Sons Inc. USA with the theme: ‘Better ways of handling plastic materials in Nigeria’. Minister of Environment, Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, represented by the Director, Pollution Control and Environment Health in the ministry, Mrs O. […]

He made the call in Abuja Wednesday at a workshop organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment in conjunction with Abu and Sons Inc. USA with the theme: ‘Better ways of handling plastic materials in Nigeria’.
 Minister of Environment, Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, represented by the Director, Pollution Control and Environment Health in the ministry, Mrs O. O. Babade, said plastic materials imported and manufactured in Nigeria will be made biodegradable. She said the federal government has pilot projects on the best ways of handling plastic materials, and attributed some environmental disasters to improper disposal of non-degradable materials.
 Guest Speaker Jeff Tibbo of the Environmental Products Inc., Canada, said, “The project makes use of additives which convert regular polymer plastics into degradable plastics.”
 Mr Abumere Omijie, of Abu and Sons Inc. USA, said non-disposable plastic materials are dangerous, adding that using bio-degradable plastic materials promotes good health and environment. He said EPI Canada, founded in 1991 with a mission to make environment friendly through proper packaging, will assist in training Nigerian industries on the use of additives.