Posted: October 26th, 2023

Regulating Single-Use Plastic Marine Pollution

Regulating Single-Use Plastic Marine Pollution: A Case Study of Nigeria
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Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the 21st century. It affects the health and well-being of humans, animals, and ecosystems across the globe. According to a 2017 study, about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s, and only 9% of it has been recycled. The rest has been discarded in landfills, incinerated, or dumped into the oceans, where it accumulates and degrades into smaller fragments known as microplastics.

Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size, which can be ingested by marine organisms or accumulate in sediments. They can also carry toxic chemicals, pathogens, or invasive species, posing threats to biodiversity, food security, and human health. A recent report estimated that there are about 14 million metric tons of microplastics on the seafloor, which is more than twice the amount of plastic floating on the ocean surface.

Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest contributions to plastic pollution in the world. It ranks ninth globally among countries with the highest mismanaged plastic waste, generating about 2.5 million metric tons of plastic waste annually. Unfortunately, over 88% of the plastic waste generated in Nigeria is not recycled. Instead, much of it ends up in water bodies – rivers, lakes, drains, lagoons and the ocean.

The main sources of plastic pollution in Nigeria include inadequate waste management infrastructure and practices, lack of public awareness and education, high consumption of single-use plastics (such as water sachets, bottles, bags, and straws), and low enforcement of existing environmental laws and regulations. These factors create a vicious cycle of plastic waste generation, disposal, and leakage into the environment.

The impacts of plastic pollution in Nigeria are manifold and severe. Plastic pollution affects the quality and availability of freshwater resources, as well as the health and productivity of marine ecosystems. It also poses risks to human health through ingestion or inhalation of microplastics or exposure to chemical contaminants. Moreover, plastic pollution undermines the economic potential of sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and agriculture, which depend on clean and healthy environments.

Given the magnitude and urgency of the problem, Nigeria needs to take decisive and coordinated actions to reduce plastic pollution and its negative consequences. This blog post will explore some of the possible solutions that could be implemented at different levels – from individual to national – to address this challenge.

Individual Actions
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Individuals can play a vital role in reducing plastic pollution by changing their consumption patterns and disposal behaviors. Some of the actions that individuals can take include:

– Avoiding or minimizing the use of single-use plastics (such as water sachets, bottles, bags, and straws) and opting for reusable or biodegradable alternatives (such as metal or glass containers, cloth or paper bags, bamboo or metal straws).
– Separating plastic waste from other types of waste and disposing of it properly in designated bins or collection points.
– Participating in recycling initiatives or programs that offer incentives for returning plastic waste (such as cash or vouchers).
– Joining or organizing clean-up activities in their communities or neighborhoods to remove plastic litter from streets, drains, rivers, or beaches.
– Raising awareness and educating others about the causes and effects of plastic pollution and how to prevent it.

Community Actions
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Communities can also contribute to reducing plastic pollution by creating a supportive environment and culture for sustainable waste management practices. Some of the actions that communities can take include:

– Establishing or strengthening community-based organizations or cooperatives that collect, sort, process, or sell plastic waste to recycling companies or industries.
– Developing or adopting local policies or norms that discourage or ban the use of single-use plastics (such as levying fees or fines for using plastic bags or prohibiting their distribution by vendors or shops).
– Promoting or supporting social enterprises or initiatives that create value from plastic waste (such as transforming it into useful products like bricks, tiles, furniture, or art).
– Collaborating or partnering with other stakeholders (such as local governments, NGOs, schools,
or businesses) to implement awareness campaigns, education programs,
or capacity-building activities on plastic pollution prevention and management.

National Actions
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National governments have a crucial responsibility and opportunity to provide leadership and direction for reducing plastic pollution at scale. Some of the actions that national governments can take include:

– Enacting or enforcing national laws or regulations that regulate the production,
importation,
distribution,
use,
and disposal
of plastics (such as imposing taxes
or bans
on single-use plastics
or requiring extended producer responsibility
or minimum recycled content standards).
– Investing or facilitating investment in waste management infrastructure
and technology
(such as collection systems,
sorting facilities,
recycling plants,
or waste-to-energy plants)
that can handle the increasing volume and diversity of plastic waste.
– Developing or implementing national strategies or action plans
that set clear goals, targets, indicators, and timelines for reducing plastic pollution and its impacts (such as aligning with the global commitments under the UN Environment Assembly resolutions or the Basel Convention).
– Supporting or participating in regional or international cooperation
or initiatives
that address plastic pollution as a transboundary issue (such as sharing best practices, data, or resources, or joining multilateral agreements or platforms like the Global Partnership on Marine Litter or the African Circular Economy Alliance).

Conclusion
—

Plastic pollution is a complex and multifaceted problem that requires a holistic and systemic approach to solve. No single actor or action can suffice to tackle this challenge. Rather, it requires the collective and coordinated efforts of all stakeholders – from individuals to national governments – to adopt and implement effective and sustainable solutions.

Nigeria, as one of the major contributors and victims of plastic pollution, has a moral and practical obligation to act urgently and decisively to address this challenge. By doing so, Nigeria can not only protect its environment and people from the harms of plastic pollution, but also unlock its economic and social potential for a more prosperous and resilient future.

References
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– Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. R., & Law, K. L. (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances, 3(7), e1700782. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782
– Woodall, L. C., Sanchez-Vidal, A., Canals, M., Paterson, G. L., Coppock, R., Sleight, V., Calafat, A., Rogers, A. D., Narayanaswamy, B. E., & Thompson, R. C. (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris. Royal Society Open Science, 1(4), 140317. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.140317
– Akindele, E. O., Adeniyi, A. A., & Adekunle, A. A. (2020). Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: First report of freshwater microplastics in Nigeria using aquatic insects as bio-indicators. Environmental Pollution, 265(Part B), 115016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115016

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