Plastic pollution is the world’s biggest problem as every year millions of tons of it ends up in oceans, mountain tops, and even inside our bodies. It alters habitats and negatively impacts natural processes, and harms living things. Plastic pollution also affects the natural environment or ecosystems’ ability to circumvent climate change.
According to a recent study, publish in Nature journal, said Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa produce the most plastic waste because governments fail to collect and dispose of waste. It highlighted that Lagos in Nigeria emitted the most plastic pollution among other major cities in the world – New Delhi in India, Luanda in Angola, Karachi in Pakistan, and Al Qahirah in Egypt.
Costas Velis, a Leeds environmental engineering professor and the study’s author, said India is the biggest plastic polluter in the world – producing 10.2 million tons of plastic waste a year. This is double of next big polluters Nigeria, Indonesia. The study highlighted that China, the Asian giant often in the red light for pollution, comes in fourth. However, Beijing is making progress towards reducing waste.
From Big to Minute, Plastic Pollution is a Global Problem
Velis said plastic, whether big or small, is a major problem. He added that tiny microplastics, also called nanoplastics, need to be tackled because it negatively affects marine life and human health. These nanoplastics are found on beaches, in the oceans, water streams and even on Mt Everst to the Mariana Trench deep in the ocean.
The researcher said plastic is everyone’s problem, and will also haunt future generations. The study asserted that the Global South should not be blamed for this problem because it’s the Global North that has led them to it. Velis said western businesses manufacture and produce plastic in the Global South and push the problem onto them than helping them solve it.
Governments should also step in, provide the necessary policies and resources to tackle it.
