Today is World Environment Day and the theme for 2018 is ” Beat Plastic Pollution “. We have deliberately built our lives around plastics by our consumption pattern. We may not know the extent of harm the use of these plastics are causing to the environment, life below the sea/water and also on human health.
While it may be difficult to beat plastics especially in Nigeria, we can make simple behavioural changes that can contribute to beating plastics.
1. Use reusable shopping bags, cups, cutlery, water bottles etc.
2. Avoid single use plastics like food takeaway packs, water/coffee cups
3. Use your reusable plastics for other purposes i.e I gather all my bottle water cans in a bag and give them to people who make kunu and zobo
4. Avoid indiscriminate disposal of plastics. When they find their way into the drainage, they block water passage and your streets get flooded when it rains. When the finally get to the sea or rivers, they kill water animals and prevent navigation, etc
4. Join in sensitization activities to educate your community about proper waste disposal especially that of plastics.
6. Join advocacy for laws that will help eliminate or minimize production and use of plastics
Let’s join hands and make our planet safer. Let’s beat plastic pollution by 2030, the Global Goals year.
Tweet of today: #beatplasticpollution #WED2018
Engr Chidozie Okereke, MNSE
Chairman, NSE Orlu Branch