A Research Team known as Sustainable Plastic Waste Management and Recycling (SWARM) in University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has advocated for inclusion of Plastic Waste Management and Recycling (PWMR) in school curriculum from primary school to tertiary institutions.
Prof. Paul Ako, Leader of the Research Team made the call in Nsukka on Tuesday during a SWARM capacity building and training workshop organised by the team for academics, stakeholders and students.
Ako who was the former Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering UNN, said when PWMR becomes part of school curriculum, it would help in early education of pupils and students on how to manage plastic waste as well as recycling, for better and safer environment.
“It is unfortunate that our roads, streets, gutters, drainages, streams and oceans are now littered with plastics waste, thereby polluting our environment and causing many health problems.
“If PWMR become part of school curriculum, we will catch them young, as our children will know about proper plastic management as it’s obtainable in many parts of the world,”he said.
Prof Ako said that, the objective of the workshop is to help identify the sources of plastic waste and their characteristics with a view to developing capacity for it’s remediation and inculcating healthy management and recycling knowledge into all concerned,
” This will help to ensure best global plastic waste management and remediation in our environment.
“This research effort is part of our initiative supported by the European union to revolutionalise sustainable plastic waste management and recycling practices.
” Within higher institutions in Africa, using some Nigeria and South Africa Higher Education Institutions as case studies,”he said.
“He explained that adequate awareness creation, collaboration among stakeholders and proper education will help Nigeria to key-in on sustainable plastic circular economy.
“Circular economy aims to decouple economic growth from resource consumption, protecting the environment while benefiting businesses
“One of our resource persons, Dr Amauche Nnabueze, said If we don’t check the menace of plastic waste in our environment, it will get out of hands as researches have shown that particles of plastic are now found in some fetus, some of our agricultural products and drinking water,’ he said.
The team leader disclosed that, the group invited head teachers of primary schools, principal in secondary schools, market leaders, representative of state waste management authority, university staff, among others.
“So that they would take the message of sustainable plastic waste management to both their establishments and general public.
“In disposing our waste, we should have different containers so that we can sort out plastics, irons, bottles and degradable items and put them properly as it is done globally.
“We should also transit from single-use plastics to using paper bags in packaging our foods as well as using wooden spoons and forks in place of plastic spoons and forks as it is done in Greece, Denmark, South Africa among others,’ he said.
In a remark, Prof. Christian Ike-Eze, the Dean, Faculty of Engineering UNN, commended the Prof. Ako led research team for the workshop, noting that plastic waste environmental pollution has become a global problem.
“The research team is in the right track trying to proffer solutions for Nigeria and Africa in order to achieve safer environment.
The Dean however, expressed concern that government in the country were yet to put into use many research output and good recommendations from universities on safer environment.
In their separate presentations; Dr. Celestine Achebe of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Dr. Uloma Jiburum of Department of Urban and Regional Planning,
Dr.Amuche Nnabueze and Dr Chinedu Ani of the NNPC/SPD/CJV/ Centre of Excellence in
Environmental Management and Green Energy.
The resource persons all agreed there is need to act fast to restore the environment from the menace and pollution of excess littering of our environment, gutters, streams, streets and roads with plastics.
They said that, including PWMR in our school curriculum would go a long way in educating our children on proper plastic management and recycling.
Dr.Achebe shared his abroad experience; how he was excited watching a girl-child of about six years sorting her waste and dropping them in their appropriate waste bins at the airport.
He noted that the child was able to do that because she had been taught in school or at home.
Dr.Nnabueze of the
Department of Fine and Industrial Arts University of Nigeria Nsukka
and visiting Lecturer to
Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS) University of Warwick, UK, said making plastic waste management part of school curriculum would have positive impacts in the country’s environment.
“Our power lies in our ability to learn, adapt and protect our planet through knowledge since education is the most powerful weapon and tool that can be used to change the world,” Nwabueze said .
Speaking on behalf of the Sustainable Plastic Waste Management and Recycling, a Student Ambassadors, Blessing Okechukwu, a 500-level student, Department of Mechanical Engineering UNN, said the ambassadors would continue to create awareness in the university community for everybody to know the need for proper waste management, recycling.
“As well as sorting out waste before disposing. a day before this workshop, we created awareness in the campus on solid waste sorting and disposal in different bins for sustainable waste management.
Okechukwu disclosed that student ambassadors have developed a machine used to recycle a particular plastic and would develop more machines in future in order to keep the environment safer.
Our correspondent reports that, the workshop was well attended by academics, stakeholders in waste management as well as students from the university.