Africa generates 8.5 million of world’s 380 million tonnes of plastic waste — Don

A professor of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Forensics and Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), Prof Lawrence Ezemonye, yesterday, advocated the use of technological innovations to manage plastic waste in Nigeria, saying Africa generated approximately 8.5 million out of 380 million tonnes of plastic waste generated globally.

Ezemonye made the revelation during the university’s College of Natural and Applied Science yearly lecture, which coincided with the World Environment Day held in Okada, Benin. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, is “Solutions to Plastic Pollution.”

Speaking on the topic, Solving Plastic Waste Problems through Strategies and Innovation, Ezemonye said plastics posed environmental pollution problems, if not managed.

He called for collective action to stem the menace of plastic pollution in the wake of rapid industrialisation, and urbanisation.
The vice Chancellor noted that about eight million tonnes of those plastic waste found their way into the ocean, which he said, was equivalent to dumping of garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute.

Africa’s plastic waste generation has reached critical levels and needed urgent attention using technology and innovations.
“Nigeria generates approximately three million tonnes of plastic waste yearly making it the highest plastic waste generator in Africa, posing severe threat to the environment and the entire ecosystem.”

“The rapid population growth, urbanisation and increasing consumption patterns have contributed to the surge in plastic waste generation in Nigeria.

“Plastic waste also contaminates the soil and disrupts agricultural productivity and poses risk to our food value chains,” he said.
Ezemonye, however, said that the use of technological innovations such as plastic buy-back programme, circular economy of plastics, plastic waste to creative and energy recovery strategies to manage plastic waste would help mitigate the crisis.

Also speaking, a Professor of Environmental Microbiology and Director of Centre for Environment, Lancaster University, Prof. Kirk Semple, said one of the major causes of death across the globe was pollution.

In his paper presentation, entitled Bioavailability of pollutants in soil: Fundamentals to application, Semple said pollution was a global phenomenon with a higher rate in third-world countries.

He noted that pollution contaminates the soil which invariably has negative impact on agricultural products.

Semple recommended continuous sensitisation of the public and adoption of environmental best practices to mitigate pollution.

Earlier, the Dean, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Prof. Longi Anyanwu, described the lecture as being apt and urged the students and stakeholders to make best use of the lecture outcome