“Beat Plastic Pollution” is the theme for this year’s celebration, which urges governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the production and excessive use of single-use plastic that is polluting oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human health.
This focus is understandable. As the world’s population steadily increases, along with it comes vast amount of waste that is being produced, even as much of today’s fast paced culture relies heavily on easily disposable products, such as paper cups, plastic bottles of water or soda or in some African countries plastic bags of water. Sadly, over time the accumulation of the packaging materials often leads to increased paper and plastic pollution around the world.
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While paper waste is bio- degradable and decomposes within six weeks to three months, plastic waste, which is often composed of major toxic pollutants, takes a much longer period. Decomposition of plastic bottles can take 70- 450 years, while plastic bags stay for 500-1000 years.
Plastic pollution therefore is a situation where plastic products have gathered in gutters, sewers and drainages over time and have begun to impact the environment negatively; creating problems for plants, wildlife and even human population in the vicinity.
It is, however, important to remember that plastics touch nearly every area of our lives, bringing improvements, convenience and cost savings. These highly versatile materials have helped shape our world for over 100 years and new plastics are being developed all the time. But as plastic waste builds up in landfills and the oceans, its disposal is now a major environmental issue.
Though plastic is a useful material, it also contains polyurethanes and polyacrylonitriles, as well as polyvinyl chlorides which are toxic compounds known to cause illness.
Some have argued that one way to get rid of large piles of plastic bottles or plastic waste would be to burn them. However, burning plastics is harmful to health and to the environment. It can increase the risk of heart diseases, nausea, or headaches and it also damages the nervous system. Styrene, for example when burnt, releases Styrene gas and when inhaled can trigger hearing loss, liver damage, nerve tissue damage. Styrene is found in foam cups, plastic plates, utensils and lots of other plastic products.
On the World Environment Day, individuals and corporates are encouraged to do something positive for the environment realising that only collective action can bring momentous change. It also provides the opportunity for everyone to realise the responsibility to care for the Earth and to become agents of change. Some organisations that come to mind in this regard are Guinness Nigeria, BASF, British American Tobacco Nigeria, Stanbic IBTC and Unilever Nigeria.
In recognition of the significant amount of waste generated by its operations, Guinness Nigeria initiated a waste management system which focuses on reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling. Every year, the company sets a series of challenging targets in the areas of water, carbon emissions, and waste. This initiative helps to significantly improve their sustainability drive thereby making a long-lasting impact on their business as well as the environment. Over the last couple of years, the company has significantly reduced waste by investing in technical innovation to cut down on material use.
Recently, the multinational announced a partnership with Wecyclers, an NGO for the implementation of Guinness Nigeria’s waste management strategy, covering reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling. Terms of the partnership also includes increasing local and global awareness around environmental issues and waste disposal.
British American Tobacco Nigeria through its zero waste management plan has identified the problems associated with improper disposal of industrial waste and the impact on environment. The multinational has, over the years, identified possible ways to reduce the negative effect of waste on the climate. Its zero waste management policy ensures that all materials used are recyclable and reused, so no waste is released to the environment at all.
Unilever Nigeria is another organisation that has spearheaded environmental sustainability by integrating a sustainable living plan into its operations. The plan encompasses improving health and wellbeing, reducing environmental impact and enhancing livelihood. This initiative focuses on zero non-hazardous waste to landfill, while also introducing reusable, recyclable plastic packaging (compostable).
Unilever is of the opinion that the conversion of forests into agricultural plantations is one major causes of deforestation, which negatively affects climate. For this reason, they are pushing for sustainable sourcing of raw materials by the introduction of inclusive supply chains for smallholder farmers who produce around 80 per cent of the food consumed. This has a remarkable impact on waste management and the environment. So far, it has led to 96 per cent reduction in total waste per tonne of production since 2008.
Recently, BASF announced that it had joined the New Plastics Economy initiative so it can work closely with other participants to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy for plastics (such as from feedstock to manufacturing to recycling/composting) since BASF has a wealth of expertise in these departments. The New Plastics Economy envisages a new approach based on creating effective after-use pathways for plastics; drastically reducing leakage of plastics into natural systems, in particular oceans; and decoupling plastics from fossil feedstocks.
The initiatives taken by the aforesaid organisations to improve their operations while also ensuring environmental sustainability should be emulated by other well-meaning organisations. Perhaps it should be the focal point of their CSR.
It is pertinent for more corporations to introduce environment- friendly policies that would positively impact the environment, introduce decomposable product packing, or reduce the percentage of plastic non-composite packaging, improve waste management and invest in recyclable materials.
The economic value big corporations provide would be immaterial if the environment is left worse off. The protection of the environment must remain the primary focus of everyone – individuals, governments and corporates alike.
Akinremi Sobowale is from the Centre for Promotion of Enterprise and Business Best Practices in Abuja
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