Women Engineers Task Environmental Agencies On Harnessing Plastic Waste

By Najib Sani, Gombe

The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has urged environmental agencies to promote harnessing plastic waste for wealth creation.

Gombe State chairman of the association, Engineer Deborah Danladi, made the call during an event to commemorate the World Environment Day for the north east zone held at Nurul Huda International Academy, Gombe, Gombe State.

She also advocated for the establishment of more refuse collection centres by the environmental protection agencies to mitigate plastic pollution.

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 female engineer 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.

Earlier, the national president of APWEN, Dr Adebisi Osim, who spoke virtually, emphasised the need to tap into the potential of plastic waste.

According to Osim, the world produces over 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, with less than 10 per cent being recycled.

“Here in Nigeria, the World Bank estimates that Lagos alone generates 13,000 metric tonnes of waste per day, and 15% of that is plastic”, she noted.

The national president noted that they celebrated this year’s environmental day with the promotion of “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for all” in order to promote STEM field which is key to conserving the environment and harnessing the potentials of plastics waste.

She pledged that APWEN would 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.

This is just as she advocated for policy inclusion of women engineers in the national environmental action plan.

The guest speaker, Dr. Rebecca Stephen Sati from Gombe State University, emphasised the need to reduce single-use plastic consumption, citing items like straws, bags and water bottles as major contributors to environmental pollution.

She advocated for eco-friendly alternatives, including reusable bags, water bottles and containers, to mitigate plastic waste.

Our correspondent reports that the theme for this year’s commemoration is “End Plastic Pollution”.