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NGO, Students Want Ban of Single-Use Plastics

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Plastic Wastes In India

An NGO, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, has advocated for the facing out of single-use plastics, if they cannot be put into use again.

David Michael, the Executive Director of the NGO made this appeal during the celebration of the 2018 World Environment Day, which has “Beat Plastic Pollution’’ as its theme, which was marked at a clean-up exercise in the Jabi neighbourhood of Abuja.

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He stated that the world’s environmental concern at this point in time is plastic waste.

He added that to mark the day, the organization worked with the students of Government Secondary School, Jabi, to organised a neighbourhood clean-up and to also educate the student on the need to control plastic waste in the country.

“Plastics here in the Jabi community run off to Jabi Lake. If you see the quantity of plastics in Jabi Lake, you will never believe it.

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“That is why we chose this community that is very close to the Jabi Lake because all the waste of the residents overflow to the lake; we want the students to understand that it is important to dispose waste safely.

“We are also saying that any plastic material you can reuse, reuse it because single-use plastics are contaminating the environment.

“We are advocating for a total ban of single use of plastics in Nigeria because plastics do not decay; they remain in the soil, river and ocean for years,” he added.

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Micheal urged that biodegradable materials such as paper bags and leaf to package consumable products be used by producers of plastic packages.

He added that the use of these biodegradable material would encourage people to plant trees and make materials available for for chemical engineers and other Nigerians.

“Today, all over the world, is World Environment Day and UN has chosen a good theme for the day, which is `Beat Plastic Pollution’.

“Plastics have become a menace to our society, the environment and our heart.

“We need to reduce the rate at which we are using plastics, not just only Nigeria but all over the world.

“Today is a significant day for all of humanity. In fact, every day should be labelled the World Environment Day because our lives largely depend on the environment.

“The air we breathe, the food we eat and even ourselves as humans, all came from the soil which is the major component of the environment.

“There is, therefore, a compelling need for us to take care of our environment,” he said.

Clara Okpala, a student of Government Secondary School, Jabi, underscored the need to ban the production and utilisation of single-use plastics because whenever plastic waste got into rivers, it harmed and killed fishes and other marine life.