[JUNE FREE REPORT]- WAYS TO REDUCE PLASTIC POLLUTION.by Baraka E Urio | 01-07-2023 21:44 |
|---|
 On June 5, we managed to prepare the conference for discussing how we are going to end plastic pollution in Africa and the whole world in general. Here is a summary of what we discussed: 1. History and application of plastic In 1907, a Belgian chemist known as Leo Baekeland pioneered the first synthetic plastic by combining Phenol and Formaldehyde under high pressure and heat. Recently, in the 20th century, plastic applications have risen to a high level. This is due to an increase in plastic demand for packing fast foods. As we know, probably 70% of the plastics that are used now are used for packing sodas, fast-paced foods, and fast-moving products. This makes the production and manufacturing of plastics more applicable than other packaging materials. 2. How to reduce plastic pollution Mainly, the most effective way to reduce plastic pollution that was discussed was through policy and legislation making and reinforcing, followed by replacing plastic materials with environmental degradable materials like paper, then recycling (This is highly used now, but actually it doesn't work effectively since not all types of plastic are recyclable), then reusing and reducing the usage of plastics. 3. Africa's strategies for reducing plastic pollution As we know, Africa is the market for almost 40% of developed countries manufactured products, and they are somehow highly affected by the plastic pollution problem. After China, South Africa is the biggest producer of plastic pollution in Africa, accounting for up to 6% of all plastic pollutants in the world. African countries have adopted a number of strategies to reduce plastic pollution, usage, imports, and manufacturing. Some of them include: A. Banning: This is the most applicable method of reducing plastic pollution that has been put forward by most African countries. Almost 60% of African countries have banned single-use plastics that are not recyclable and easy to dispose of in the environment. (Banning policies restrict the use, manufacturing, and import of single-use plastics.) B. Plastic charging: Few African countries have implemented charging fees for every plastic that is produced within the country, imported, or stored. This is highly implemented by South Africa, followed by Kenya and some Arabic countries in North Africa. C. EPR System: This is known as extended Producer responsibility. A plastic producer is responsible for removing its plastic products from society after they are used by customers. The producer is responsible for withdrawing and recycling the plastic his or her company is producing. This is mostly applicable in the United Kingdom and other European countries, and it is a bit applicable to South Africa too. I am recommending this method be applicable in our countries since producers will actually produce. manufacture plastics that they can recycle and withdraw from society. |
