insert_link Africa Nigeria is the world’s 2nd biggest plastic polluter: expert insights into the crisis By Wale Fatade, The Conversation Plastic pollution is a major problem in Nigeria. Recent research identified the country as a plastic pollution hotspot, second to India. India emits 9.3 million tonnes of plastic into the environment each year – one fifth of the global total. Nigeria emits 3.5 million tonnes annually. Just how big is the issue and what can be done about it? The Conversation Africa […] todaySeptember 12, 2024 16
insert_link Environment 7 Billion tonnes of plastic waste threaten environment Since the 1950s, 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced, seven billion tonnes of which have become potentially toxic waste. Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the international negotiating committee secretariat that is focused on curbing the scourge told UN News that if no action is taken, plastic pollution could triple by 2060. todayMay 2, 2024 87
insert_link Environment Microplastics in Nigeria’s Osun River: new study flags alarmingly high levels The Osun River in Nigeria has high levels of microplastics in its water, sediment and fish. Gideon Idowu, Author provided Gideon Idowu, Federal University of Technology, Akure The Osun River is one of the major rivers in southern Nigeria. It flows from its source in Ekiti State, through several states, before emptying into Lagos state’s Lekki Lagoon. It is an important source of water for the communities that live around […] todayApril 8, 2024 22
insert_link Africa Lagos bans single-use plastics – why I think Nigeria should have taxed them instead By Kehinde Allen-Taylor, Technical University Braunschweig Waste pollution is a huge problem in Nigeria, with serious impacts on the environment. In response, the Lagos state government has banned styrofoam (a type of plastic widely used as food containers) and other single-use products. Following a three-week moratorium for producers and sellers to mop up styrofoam containers, enforcement began on 4 March 2024. In 2019, Nigeria was estimated to […] todayMarch 12, 2024 22
insert_link Environment Nile Basin farmers grow food forests to restore wetlands and bring back a turtle By David Njagi via Mongabay In the 44 years Naomi Rita Sitati has lived in Bukirimo village in western Kenya, she has known only one system of farming, which her community has depended on for generations. Cultivating sugarcane as the only crop in large plots is a common practice in the region, which is part of the larger Nile Basin, and Sitati was happy with it. Apart from creating jobs for […] todayFebruary 29, 2024 24
insert_link Environment Fossil Fuels Drive Both The Plastics And Climate Crises & Need An International Framework To Phase Them Out On the opening day of the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) meeting, environmental experts and advocates united to demand decisive action against the ongoing climate and plastics crises fueled by fossil fuels. Hellen Kahaso Dena, Project Lead of the Pan-Africa Plastics Project at Greenpeace Africa, emphasized the dire need for a robust Global Plastics Treaty. "Our planet is drowning in plastic, a crisis intricately linked to […] todayFebruary 27, 2024 20
insert_link Africa Nigeria’s plastic ban: why it’s good and how it can work By Temitope O. Sogbanmu, University of Lagos Two weeks into January 2024, Nigerian authorities took steps to curb environmental degradation caused by plastic pollution in the country. The Federal Ministry of Environment and the Lagos State government both announced bans on single-use plastics. The Federal Ministry of Environment was the first to issue a directive. It banned single-use plastics in its own departments and agencies. The Lagos State government […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 37
insert_link Environment Can bioplastics help shape a more sustainable future? Mike DiGirolamo holding a boomerang produced by the ARC Training Centre for Bioplastics and Biocompositses. Image by Nicolas Rakotopare for Mongabay. By Abhishyant Kidangoor, Mike DiGirolamo via Mongabay As the world struggles to contain plastic pollution, eco-friendly alternatives to plastics have garnered attention in recent years. One example: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a naturally occurring bio-based polymer, have been touted as a potential solution. Biotechnology startups have enthusiastically embraced the functional and economic […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 19