WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2018: BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION “BAN ON SINGLE USE PLASTIC: CAN LAGOS TAKE THE LEAD IN NIGERIA?”

     

“It's when we go fishing for plastic that we wonder where all the fish have gone.” -Anthony T. Hincks

            The above quote is a clear indication that our future with plastic is a dooms day story. Since the creation of this wonderful product, plastic has created more harm to the environment than it has helped the human race.  Studies have shown that:

• ·         It takes 500 - 1,000 years for plastics to degrade;
• ·         Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences in the oceans making up about 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces;
•   Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute;
• · Plastic constitutes approximately 90 percent of all trash floating on the ocean's surface, with 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile;
• ·         One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans;

• ·         44 percent of all seabird species, 22 percent of cetaceans, all sea turtle species and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies;
• ·         In samples collected in Lake Erie, 85 percent of the plastic particles were smaller than two-tenths of an inch, and much of that was microscopic. Researchers found 1,500 and 1.7 million of these particles per square mile;
• ·         Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form (with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated).

So, what are plastics and why are they a problem to humans and the environment?

Plastics are a subspecies of a class of materials known as polymers. These are composed of large molecules, formed by joining many, often thousands, of smaller molecules (monomers) together. Other kinds of polymers are fibers, films, elastomers (rubbers), and biopolymers (i.e., cellulose, proteins, and nucleic acids). Plastics are made from low-molecular-weight monomer precursors, organic materials, which are mostly derived from petroleum, that are joined together by a process called "polymerization."

They owe their name to their most important property, the ability to be shaped to almost any form to produce articles of practical value. Plastics can be stiff and hard or flexible and soft. Because of their light weight, low cost, and desirable properties, their use has rapidly increased and they have replaced other materials such as metals and glass. They are used in millions of items.

The problem with plastics are enormous and it can take a whole book to document the effect of plastic use on human and environment. In the year 2016, Ecologist Dr Roland Geyer and his colleagues calculated the total volume of all plastics ever produced at 8.3 bn tonnes. Of this, some 6.3bn tonnes is now waste and 70-90% of this is in land fill or the natural environment.  That means it takes a long time to degraded. Styrofoam (50 years), nappy (450 years), plastic bottle (450 years), fishing line (650 years) etc.

They harm wildlife. For sea birds and larger marine creatures like turtles, dolphins and seals, the danger comes from being entangled in plastic bags and other debris, or mistaking plastic for food. Turtles cannot distinguish between plastic bags and jellyfish, which can be part of their diet. Plastic bags, once consumed, cause internal blockages and usually results in death. Larger pieces of plastic can also damage the digestive systems of sea birds and whales and can be potentially fatal. The effect on humans of eating fish containing plastic is still largely unknown.

But in 2016 the European Food Safety Authority warned of an increased risk to human health and food safety "given the potential for micro-plastic pollution in edible tissues of commercial fish".

Also, plastics are a big chemical burden on the environment. Plastic industry contributes toxic releases into the air. Significant toxic chemical release by plastic industry include: Trichloroethane, Acetone, Methylene chloride, Methyl ethyl ketone, Styrene, Toluene, Benzene and 1,1,1 trichloroethane. Other major emissions from plastic production processes include Sulphur oxides, Nitrous oxides, Methanol, Ethylene oxide, and Volatile organic compounds. All these chemicals have been documented to have one effect or the other on humans and environment. Ironically some have been documented to contribute to climate change.

Producing plastics can be hazardous to workers, involve serious accidents which includes explosions, chemical fires, chemical spills, and clouds of toxic vapour have been documented in plastic industries. These kinds of occurrences have caused deaths, injuries, evacuations and major property damage. A review of the US EPA’s database of 10,000 accidents and spills from 1980-87 shows that nearly 1,600 (16%) of industrial accidents were associated with producing plastics or plastic constituents.

With these selected documented effects, can we call for the ban on plastic or plastic derivatives?

 As of August 2017, anyone in Kenya who’s found using, producing, or selling a plastic bag faces up to four years in jail, or a $38,000 fine.  It’s the world’s harshest plastic bag ban , and it’s prompting some seriously creative solutions. In January 2018, the UK announced a 25-year plan to “set the global gold standard” on eliminating plastic waste. In February 2018, Taiwan announced one of the farthest-reaching bans on plastic in the world , restricting the use of single-use plastic bags, straws, utensils, and cups, In July 2017, Zimbabwe announced a total ban on expanded polystyrene(EPS), a styrofoam-like material used for food containers that takes up to a million years to decompose. Many more cities and countries are taking serious decisions on the use of plastics.

  

Can Lagos lead the way in Nigeria?  In my life journey as an environmentalist I have documented photography of the changing environment of Lagos State as a hobby and a job. The most horrific and challenging scenes I continue to capture in different parts of Lagos is the menace of plastic and plastic derivates in our waterways, drains, waterfront, seashore, landfill etc.  from Ibeshe, to Lekki, from Ajara to Takwa bay, from Epe to Alimosho. Plastics are taking over the street of Lagos and if an immediate action is not in place to tackle this emerging challenge, our city may be the first to be buried by plastic. Hence, can we take the lead and ban single use plastic in Lagos and show the rest of Nigeria that Lagos takes the lead in everything.

As we join the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Environment Day, all hands must be on deck to end the plastic problem. As citizens, we can take individual actions that can go a long way in solving the problem. Here are ways you can contribute to solving the plastic problem:

• ·        Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants. If a straw is a must, purchase a reusable stainless steel or glass straw,
• ·        use a reusable produce bag,
• ·        give up gum, Gum is made of a synthetic rubber, aka plastic,
• ·        use a reusable bottle or mug for your beverages, even when ordering from a to-go shop,
• ·        Bring your own container for take-out or your restaurant doggy-bag since many restaurants use Styrofoam,
• ·        Make fresh squeezed juice or eat fruit instead of buying juice in plastic bottles. It's healthier and better for the environment,
• ·        Pack your lunch in reusable containers and bags,
• ·        Also, opt for fresh fruits and veggies and bulk items instead of products that come in single serving cups,
• ·        Also, opt for fresh fruits and veggies and bulk items instead of products that come in single serving cups.
• ·        Use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable razor.

Beat Plastic Pollution. If you can’t reuse it, refuse it.