The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), an ecology-focused Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged for a significant reduction in plastic usage to combat environmental degradation and safeguard the planet.
Executive Director of HOMEF Dr. Nnimmo Bassey in a statement commemorating this years World Earth Day highlighted the pressing need to address the proliferation of single-use plastics, which he says posed a grave threat to the health of the Earth and its ecosystems.
He emphasized the urgency of banning the production and use of single-use plastics to mitigate their harmful impacts on the environment.
Bassey said research indicates that a staggering 380 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with only nine percent being recycled.
“Now is a critical time to choose between planet and plastic. Good sense tells us to choose the planet, our Mother Earth that sustains all lives.
“Poor sense driven by profit urges humans to choose plastics because of
the ease they bring, despite the harmful impacts on our health, climate, and overall health of the planet.
“As we mark World Earth Day 2024, the alarm must be sounded that it is
time to uproot plastics from their fossil base or be ready to be turned
into plastic humans living plastic lives and heading to an inferno plastic future.
“At HOMEF, we are all for the planet, people, and all life forms,” Bassey said.
In response, HOMEF supports global campaigns advocating for a 60 percent reduction in plastic usage by 2040.
As part of its commitment to environmental sustainability Bassey said HOMEF underscores the importance of embracing alternatives that are sustainable and safe for the planet.
He revealed The Planet vs Plastics campaign aims to mobilize action to address plastic pollution and protect the health of all living beings.
By Dare Akogun
