Plastics are chocking Nababirye Wetland as companies keep increasing production without action to #EndPlasticPollution.
Through the #EndPlasticPollution movement’s effort to demand corporate action and responsibility, we’ll continue to expose companies that are generating plastics that are degrading our environment. This is to increase attention and inspire extended and greater corporate action from companies that generate plastic waste.
During our participation in a swamp cleanup organized by Nabukalu Patience at Nababirye Wetland ( swamp ) in Mutundwe we managed to find out, yet another dangerous extent of reach by plastics in Uganda, the wetlands.
Of recent we have been experiencing rapid urban expansion, industrialization which cleared the Namanve wetland and agricultural use that contributed much to our wetlands degradation. Also many infrastructure projects in Uganda have also been constructed at an expense of several wetlands like Rubigi. Now plastics have found place in our wetlands given different reasons causing wetland degradation. Wetland degradation affects human health, our biodiversity, our climate system and entire ecological security.
Today the increasing production big plastics in Uganda it is visible that the problem we are facing is beyond individual action and now companies generating have to step up.
Which companies are contributing plastics that is chocking Nababirye Wetland in Kampala.
These companies, are a mixture of local producers, multinationals operating in Uganda and imported products. However all these companies despite the huge amounts of profits they make, all of them have no clear action towards the plastic waste they generate. None have visible viable corporate action that is achieving an environmental impact in Uganda.
Here is a list and image of products captured at Nababirye Wetland.
1. Coca Cola.
2. PepsiCo
3. Fanta
4. Rwenzori
5. Mirinda
6. Krest
7. Ice water
8. Riham ( Exotic Tangawizi )
9. Power play energy drink.
10. Romi's Wine
What must be done by these companies to #EndPlasticPollution.
Companies must take action and responsibility to #EndPlasticPollution and stop blaming people / consumers. If it requires the company to change it’s product design or model, then it should consider to do so.
To #EndPlasticPollution can also be a strategic goal for the company to venture into new products, new markets because it inspires innovation work in sectors that operate with less environmental impact.
This is the right time for companies that promised us a world without waste to lead the promotion of REUSE and REPURPOSE initiative with interested to power the transition to effective circular design of the plastics life cycle.
Companies should work with in limitations and controls of the law. In Uganda, rules and regulations on the use and manufacture of virgin please must be put in place, implemented and enforced for effectiveness. As African countries we also have to find away of curbing the tendencies of multinationals and large local producers undermining our controls.
As the #EndPlasticPollution movement we condemn the US backed plastics trade deal to weaken Kenya’s ban on plastics so as to use the country as an entry point to flood am with plastics.
Companies must recognize consumer feed back on product designs and model.
Companies must recognize that as individuals/consumers we have a right to a safe environment. People should know that they have authority to hold corporations accountable for their work. Individuals action as regards consumption behavior is important in inspiring change in design and reduction in production of goods with a plastic components or product content.
By:
Nirere Sadrach / Team #EndPlasticPollution.
This is the first article under the#PlasticPollutersExposed content series.
Twitter: @SadrachNirere
Facebook: https://facebook.com/sadrach256
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirere-sadrach-profile
Web: climatewatchseries.blogspot.com
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