Plastic pollution : if you can’t reuse it ,refuse it

Pollution is a major concern these days, particularly plastic pollution, which harms marine species, has a
negative impact on soil and poisons groundwater, and can have serious repercussions on health.

This text is an extract from an article published in May 2018 by a Nigerian newspaper called: punchng
This article denounces plastic pollution in the world particularly in Nigera and its repercussions on the planet
precisely in oceans, At a time when all other communities, industries and individuals join to struggle against
the threat, Nigeria is not taking action.He illustrate what he say with striking figures such as:

• 100 Million wast plastic bags use every day

• We buy one million platic bottles every minutes
• Each year ,at least 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans
• And also the fact that “in the last decade,we produced more plastic than in the whole last century
which is very worrying.
• The author wants to raise concen in Nigeria about of Environmental damage of plastic and the
emergency to take action and sensitize people in Nigeria..
A number of initiatives have been put in place to raise awareness, for example the Football Association is
comparing the time it takes Lionel Messi to score a goal with the amount of plastic dumped in the ocean. The
#BeatPlasticPollution campaign has also been set up with the aim of changing the way industries, companies,
governments and ourselves consume plastic.
Finally, they conclude by denouncing the inaction of the people of Niger in the face of this pollution. Perhaps
the aim of this newspaper is to raise awareness about plastic, because less developed countries find it harder
to fight pollution.
We can think that’s reused bag is not enought but they are une the world Many things set up around the
fight plastic pollution for exemple :

In the Dominican Republic, in certain poor and polluted areas, parents of schoolchildren are invited to
collect plastic waste one Friday a month in exchange for food, which benefits the local and poor
populations as well as the planet. The recovered waste is then taken for recycling.
The plasticodyssey association, which visited the country, noted that the situation in the Dominican
Republic was worrying and that if they continued to do nothing, the country would soon be buried
under waste.
Plasticodyssey has an Instagram page where it posts videos of its actions around the world. They now
have 20,000 followers.

Even more impressive : A trash fence has stopped eighty fivty thousand of trash from entering the ocean in
guatemala ,it’s called the interceptor barricade created by the ocean cleanup , it’s a floating barrier that’s set
up around the mouth of a river stopping trash until it can be removed from the water , it’s been working this
magic at rio las vacas in guatemala ,they work with local partners to dispose of the plastic they collect in the
most efficient way depending on the region. The ocean clean up have been pioneering innovations helping to
collect trash out at sea. Another of their exploits is system 03 . After two failures 11 tonnes of trash have just
been removed from the great pacific garbage patch , They used a device stretched between two vessels...
Which skims debris from the surface of the water .The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a cluster of trash in the
North Pacific Ocean It's roughly twice the size of Texas
They taking the trash back to base in British Columbia, where it will be sorted for recycling, Plastic makes up
80% of marine debris who disrupting marine ecosystems and injuring animals who consume or get caught in it.
Plastics also degrade into microplastics and enter on the food system potentially causing damage to human
cells The Ocean Cleanup is on a mission to remove 90% of ocean trash by 2040 It's about to launch an even
bigger skimming device
It's about to launch an even bigger skimming device Roughly 3 times the size of the current one.... With the
potential to clean a football field's worth of ocean every 5 minutes

Recycling is the best solution:

Since we became aware of the impact of plastic on our planet, there has been a lot of awareness-raising about
recycling on the part of governments and associations. Recycling is an important issue for brands as it allows
them to reduce their environmental impact and reinforce their brand image as a responsible and committed
company. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of the products they buy, and are
more likely to buy products made from recycled materials. Brands are looking for a better reputation, cost
savings and a loyal customer base.

Here are the commitments made by some major brands to combat plastic pollution :
Coca-Cola: The brand has announced its commitment to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or
can sold by 2030 1.
Nestlé: The brand has committed to using 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025 2.

Adidas: The brand has created a sports shoe made from plastic waste recovered from the ocean 3.
Patagonia: The brand uses recycled materials to manufacture its clothing and is committed to reducing its
environmental impact 4.

Challenges to raise awareness of plastic collection

Around the world, a number of initiatives and challenges have been launched to fight pollution
through tsocial network. These initiatives are raising awareness and taking active steps to reduce
plastic pollution.

• Trash Tag Challenge: Find an area dense with rubbish and take a before/after photo.
• Fill The Bottle: Focus on cigarette ends by putting them in plastic bottles.
• Plogging: Collect rubbish while jogging.
 These are things that everyone can do on a daily basis

To limit the consumption and production of plastics, the French government has introduced a national "3R"
strategy for the Reduction, Reuse and Recycling of single-use plastic packaging.

In conclusion, to reduce plastic pollution, the world needs to halve single-use plastics and massively adopt the
"reuse, recycle and alternative" triptych. Recycling is one of the most effective ways of reducing plastic
pollution. Worldwide, 15% of plastic waste is collected for recycling. However, it is important to note that
recycling alone is not enough to solve the problem of plastic pollution. We need a profound change in
mentalities and consumption patterns if we want to see results

Has the government done anything to fight plastic pollution?

the French government has introduced a national "3R" strategy for the Reduction, Reuse and Recycling of
single-use plastic packaging.