ADDIS ABABA- The government needs to take various interventions to tackle environmental, health as well as socioeconomic impact of plastic pollution, the Addis Ababa City Administration Environmental Protection Authority said.
Speaking to the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), the Authority’s Director-General Diriba Dida stated that 73,750 tons or 9% of garbage that is being disposed in the capital is plastic.
According to a study, Ethiopia’s plastic consumption from 2017-2022 was around 43,000 tons and currently it has reached to 224,009 tons, registering a 421% increase. In addition, the plastic per capita consumption increased from 0.6kg to 2.6kg in five years witnessing an 11% increase.
Diriba emphasized that animals are the primary groups that are affected by plastic pollution. “Let alone the impact it pose on environment and human beings, but animals immediately die when they intake plastics.”
According to him, the government needs to give prime attention to tackle the challenge. To this end, the incumbent has launched recently a national campaign, which would last for six months.
“The government should impose huge tax on plastic materials to discourage pollution. In addition, incentivizing actors who are engaged in plastic recycling and implementing regulation that forbid plastic production are other viable measures.”
Putting the regulation that force plastic producers to reuse the plastic for different purposes and build the community’s awareness about the hazardous impact of plastic pollution are also measures that should attain equal consideration, the director-general recommend.
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 2 MAY 2024
