World Environment Day 2025: More needed against plastic pollution

Today is World Environment Day. It is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1973, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, “Beat Plastic Pollution,” could not have come at […]

Today is World Environment Day. It is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1973, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, “Beat Plastic Pollution,” could not have come at a better time. Coming just two years after the 2023 edition with the same theme signifies the importance that the whole world now attaches to this phenomenon. Plastic pollution today constitutes a threat to human, animal, and aquatic lives, and if nothing concrete is done about this menace, human life could soon come under existential threat. For Nigeria, we cannot afford any further delay in implementing policies aimed at stopping this challenge.

The threat of plastic pollution to the environment is real. The volume of plastic production has risen astronomically from just a few metric tonnes about a century ago to its current level of over 430 million tonnes annually. Nigeria is rated among the top plastic waste producers.

This increase has been driven by the demand for plastic in various areas of human endeavour. In the packaging industry, for instance, plastic now plays a major role, especially in the packaging and delivery of food and drinks. Plastic also plays a significant role in the pharmaceutical and paint industries.

• BENUE UPDATE: Army Chief ‘relocates’ to Benue as 270 killed in 2 months
• New ICAN president vows to pursue policy advocacy

The trouble, however, with this material is its handling by humans. Because of its nature, plastic waste demands special handling and disposal, including recycling facilities. Its mishandling or improper disposal has turned this useful material into a threat to the environment and indirectly to human, animal, and aquatic lives. Every year, about 19 million tonnes of plastic leak into the environment, according to the World Economic Forum. Several tonnes leak into the rivers and coastal areas, while about 1.7 million tonnes end up in the oceans each year.

Plastic pollution of the oceans now constitutes a serious threat to marine life, which is a strong supporter of human life. Plastic in the oceans ends up choking fish and other marine life. Reports have documented cases of fish and whales that swallow plastic and end up choking to death because the plastic does not digest in their systems, and hence, they cannot eat again and end up dying.

Some chemicals are released from plastic into the oceans, which reduces the quality and quantity of oxygen that humans receive.

In yet another significant way, plastic pollution of the ocean poses a threat to human food supplies. Plastic deposits disrupt the marine ecosystem, especially the coral reefs, which serve as the natural nursery of fish. With this, the sustainability of fish supplies comes under threat.

Therefore, this year’s Environment Day should not just be observed as it has been done over the years, with fanfare devoid of action to protect the environment. Its observance should rather be based on an understanding of the fact that the environment is where every other activity takes place, and therefore any damage done to it is a threat to human existence.

Unfortunately, Nigeria has not taken the threat from plastic pollution with the seriousness it deserves. The government has shown lethargy in acting against bad behaviour on the part of Nigerians towards the eradication of the plastic menace. This could be linked to the government’s inability sometimes to implement its policies or decisions. In 2009, the federal government issued a directive that banned one-time use plastics in the country, because of the nuisance it pose to the environment. Yet, since that time, the government has not taken any action to enforce the ban, hence, the menace of such materials has continued unabated. Lately, the Lagos State government announced a ban on single-use plastics.

The rainy season has set in and will remain with us for several months. Already, the nation is feeling the impact of the rain, as there have been cases of flooding ravaging several parts of the country, with loss of lives and property. While some of these incidents have been attributed to natural causes, it is evident that human activities are contributing factors.

These point to the fact that Nigeria must now take decisive action. The time has come for the governments- federal, state, and local – to walk the talk and move beyond the perennial “ban on plastic” to working towards actual implementation of the ban. To effectively enforce this ban, they should start by stopping the production of these materials. This should encourage our local industries to begin sourcing alternatives to plastic packaging.

Beyond this, there should be concerted efforts to begin profitable recycling of plastics. Since plastic is useful to several sectors of the economy, a genuine solution to the challenge is recycling, which will reduce, if not end, its indiscriminate disposal, which is the culprit.