The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has called for intensified global action to tackle plastic pollution, which they described as a mounting environmental crisis.
The call was made on Monday by the North-East zone of APWEN under its “STEM for All” initiative, during the 2025 World Environment Day commemoration in Gombe.
Delivering a virtual address, APWEN President, Engr. Adebisi Osim, stressed the urgent need to promote plastic recycling as a key strategy to combat pollution and ensure a cleaner, safer environment.
“The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, ‘End Plastic Pollution,’ is not just a slogan—it’s a global wake-up call. And we are responding not with panic, but with STEM-driven solutions and community-focused action,” she said.
Osim cited alarming data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which reports that over 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually worldwide—two-thirds of which become waste. Of that, less than 10% is recycled.
“This waste ends up clogging our drains, littering our streets, choking rivers, and poisoning marine life,” she noted.
“In Nigeria, the World Bank estimates that Lagos alone generates 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, with plastic making up 15% of that. We see it every day: pure water sachets in gutters, single-use bags in markets, and microplastics creeping into our food chain.”
Osim urged stakeholders to invest in plastic recycling as a way to reduce reliance on new plastic production, which would in turn cut greenhouse gas emissions. She emphasized the need to transition from linear waste models to a circular economy built on reuse and innovation.
She revealed that APWEN chapters across the country are engaging with young people to develop plastic alternatives from local materials and build waste-sorting systems using simple robotics.
The association also plans to organize STEM fairs focused on sustainable innovation and local solutions to environmental challenges.
Echoing her remarks, Engr. Deborah Danladi, Chairperson of APWEN’s Gombe chapter, called on stakeholders to see plastic recycling not just as an environmental imperative but as a platform for job creation and youth empowerment.
“We must do more to sensitise communities and foster collective responsibility. This is not just a problem for environmentalists—it affects us all,” Danladi said.
