Plastic bags are a threat to human & animal health, environment.

By: Sheikh Alkinky Sanyang

Dawda Badgie, Deputy Executive Director at the National Environment Agency`s

(NEA) has disclosed that plastic bag pollution rendered severe environmental and
health threats to human, livestock and the Marine Eco-system. Due to its adverse
effects and uncompromising hazards, the Government of the Gambia has on 1st
July 2015 banned the use, production and sell of plastics bags in the country.
Badgie made this disclosure recently during a press briefing held at the home of
the Gambian environment on Jimpex road, Kanifing. He told the gathering and
keen listeners that the country needs the blessing support and collaboration of all
and sundry in an effort to collectively effect the ban on plastic bags that find their
way into our sustainable livelihood support systems.

Dr. Dawda Badgie

He further disclosed that Plastic bags do not

decompose for many years and therefore has potentials to destroy soil nutrients and
structure, and affect tree-roots penetration thus threatens productivity. Buttressing
further, Badgie noted that our livestock are also killed with other smaller domestic
animals when they ingest or swallow it resulting to huge economic loss to farmers.
Due to improper disposal systems, many domestic and stray animals end up
consuming plastics and get entangle and suffocate to death. Thousands of animals
worldwide including cow, goats, sheep, dolphins, turtles, whales, penguins are
killed every year due to plastic bags ingestion. Many animals ingest plastic bags,
mistaking them for food, and therefore die. And worse is, the ingested plastic bag
remains intact even after the death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies
around in the landscape where another victim may ingest it.
 Animals grazing on plastics bags

The continuous use of plastic bags threatens our food security as they resist
decomposition for decades and becomes a virtual eye-sore in public places. Most
plastic wastes find their ways into gutters and water ways and cause blockage
during rainy season and subsequently lead to flooding of cities and growth centers,
he pointed out.

Counting on the threats of plastic bags, Deputy Director Badgie disclosed that
when plastic bags are burnt or use for fire lighting, which is a very common
practice by the women in the country, it releases dangerous chemicals such as
dioxins and furans which are Persistent Organic Pollutants, are casinogenic
substance that can cause cancer and other life threatening diseases.
Furthermore, he said Plastic bags are often misused by putting in it hot or cold
food like “Ebbeh, Café Touba, Nan-Mburr” etc underlining that the use of plastic
bags to package hot or cold food stuffs in it is very dangerous as it releases the
chemical residue content of the plastic into the food, and can lead to long-term
health problems.
He revealed that the Environmental Education & Communication team of the
agency will embark on a nationwide sensitization tour to community radio stations.
These local radio FM stations will include Paradise FM in Farafenni, GRTS radio
in Basse, Brikamabaa Community radio, Soma FM and Kaira FM in Kuloro. These
phone-in radio programs will generate lots of listenership who can also contributed
through phone calls.
“The ban on plastic bags is a right move in the right direction as it reflects on the
dangers to both human and the environment. Plastic bags are non-biodegradables
and can cause serious threat to the fragile eco-system of the country and the
environment in general”. Dr. Badgie warned.
This dire situation, he pointed out warranted the Government of the Gambia to
completely ban the importation of plastics into the country with effect from 1 st July
2015 and equally announced a zero tolerance on environmental cleanliness to avert
the numerous problems related to environmental mismanagement.
Speaking earlier, Barrister Lamin Samateh thanked the Government of the Gambia
and the NEA for their foresight and commitment in averting serious environmental
hazards by banning the usage, sale, and consumption of plastic bags. He therefore
call on all and sundry not to smuggle this ban substance through our borders into
the country.