Plastic pollution requires systemic change to tackle — Expert

Mrs Belinda Odeneye, a retired Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, has called for a systemic change to tackle the menace of plastic pollution in the country.

Odeneye disclosed this while delivering a keynote address to mark the World Environment Day (WED) on Wednesday in Lagos.

The event was organised by the Nigerian Environmental Society (Mainland Chapter) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

The theme of the 2023 WED is: “Solution to Plastic Polution.”

She said that Nigeria needs to move away from the current linear plastic economy to a circular plastic economy.

“To effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis, systemic change is needed.

“This means, moving away from the current linear plastic economy, which centres on producing, using and discarding the material to a circular plastic economy, where the plastic that is produced is kept in the economy for as long as possible,” Odeneye said.

She said that over 430 million tonnes of plastics were produced annually.

Odeneye said that two-third of plastics produced annually were short-lived and turned to waste thereby filling the ocean.

“Micro-plastics are tiny shards of plastic measuring up to 5mm in length. They come from everything from tyres to beauty products, which contain micro-bead and tiny particles used as exfoliants.

“Another key source is synthetic fabrics. Every time clothing is washed, the pieces shed tiny plastic fibers called microfibers – a form of micro-plastics.

“Laundry alone causes around 500,000 tonnes of plastic microfibers to be released into the ocean every year – the equivalent of almost three billion polyester shirts,” Odeneye said.

She said that plastic was thrown away on a massive scale, adding that yearly, over 280 million tonnes of short-lived plastic products become waste.

According to her, 46 per cent of plastic waste is landfilled globally, while 22 per cent is mismanaged.

She said that plastics unlike other materials did not biodegrade.

“It can take up to 1,000 years to break down, so when it is discarded, it builds up in the environment until it reaches a crisis point.

“This pollution chokes marine wildlife, damages soil and poisons groundwater, and can cause serious health impacts,” Odeneye said.

She said that the United Nations member states agreed in 2022 on a resolution to end plastic pollution.

She said that an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was developing a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, with the aim of having it finalised by the end of 2024.

“Critically, the talks have focused on measures considering the entire life cycle of plastics, from extraction and product design to production to waste management, enabling opportunities to design out waste before it is created as part of a thriving circular economy,” Odeneye said.

She called for ethical responsibility in the management of plastic.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigerian Environmental Society, Mr Taofeeq Adeosun, welcomed the dignitaries present with a reminder that plastics were useful and non-biodegradable.

Adeosun called for collective responsibility to put an end to plastic pollution.

The occasion was graced by students from selected schools who displayed up-cycled materials they made from plastics.