2025 World Environment Day: Group Advocates End to Plastic Pollution
By Towncriernews
As the world commemorates 2025 World Environment Day, an environmental activist group, Foundation for Earth Rights Assembly ( FERA) has advocated an end to plastic pollution.
Speaking to journalists in Benin City, Edo State, Executive Director of Foundation for Earth Rights Assembly (FERA), Nosa Tokunbor said the need to end plastic pollution is urgent.
He said that the theme for this year’s celebration, “End Plastic Pollution,” highlights the growing concern over the impact of plastics on the environment and human health.
According to him, “plastic pollution is a global challenge that requires immediate action. Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet – even in our bodies in the form of microplastics.
“The statistics on plastic pollution are alarming. The worldwide production of plastics reached 413.8 million metric tons in 2023, with an estimated 400 million tonnes of plastic waste generated last year. Without meaningful action, flows of plastic waste into aquatic ecosystems are expected to nearly triple from around 11 million tonnes in 2016 to around 29 million tonnes in 2040.”
Continuing, he said, “In Nigeria, plastic pollution is a significant problem, with less than 12% of plastic waste recycled. The country has only eight plants for the recovery of plastic waste, and the World Bank has noted that three of the 20 top plastics-polluting rivers in the world are located in Nigeria.
“To address this challenge, the international community is working towards a global treaty to end plastic pollution. The Basel Convention, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the UNEP Regional Seas Programme are some of the instruments being used to tackle plastic pollution.”
According to Tokunbor, “Ambitious policies are needed to end plastic pollution. While the economic costs of implementing such policies are modest overall, they will be unevenly distributed across countries.”
He emphasised the need for collective action to tackle plastic pollution, including curbing pollution from single-use plastic products and redesigning plastic products to make them last longer.
The World Environment Day celebration aims to mobilize communities across the world to implement and advocate for solutions to plastic pollution. As the world works towards a global treaty to end plastic pollution, it is essential for individuals, organisations, and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change.
