By Najib Sani, Gombe
The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), has called for action against plastic pollution in the nation.
National president of the association, Dr. Adebisi Osim, made the call on Monday during the commemoration of this year's World Environment Day for the north east zone held at Nurul Huda International Academy, Gombe, Gombe State.
She said there is need to tackle the growing menace of plastic pollution stating that it poses danger to the environment.
Osim who spoke virtually at the event, said they celebrated this year's environmental day with the promotion of "Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for all" including the girl child in order to promote STEM field which is "key to conserving the environment and harnessing the potentials of plastics waste".
According to her, the world produces over 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, with over two-thirds becoming waste, and less than 10% being recycled.
"In Nigeria, the situation is equally dire, with Lagos generating 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, 15% of which is plastic.
"APWEN will work with environmental agencies to conduct STEM-based plastic audits in schools and markets, and partner with young people to design plastic alternatives using local materials and build waste-sorting systems using simple robotics", she pledged.
She also advocated for policy inclusion of women engineers in the national environmental action plan.
In her remarks, the Gombe State chairman of the association, Engineer Deborah Danladi, advocated for the establishment of refuse collection centres across the state to mitigate plastic pollution.
She urged environmental agencies to promote recycling of plastic waste for wealth creation.
Danladi also revealed that APWEN would educate school children on recycling plastic waste into useful items like household items, robotics, and toys during the environmental day celebration.
The chairman further explained that by promoting recycling and proper waste management, the association seeks to address plastic pollution crisis in Gombe State, north east and create a cleaner environment for residents.
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