Zambia has joined the rest of the global community in commemorating World Environment Day with the theme: – Preventing Plastic Pollution under the hashtag #BeatPlasticPollution.
The Tobacco Free Association of Zambia (TOFAZA) has urged the Government of Zambia, to align the future legally binding instrument on plastics with the public health objective of ending the tobacco epidemic, to which most countries have already committed through the domestication of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
TOFAZA Executive Director Brenda Chitindi notes that the organisation is a member of the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance, a coalition of over 100 global public health and environmental organisations, who assert that cigarette filters are a source of significant and hazardous plastic pollution.
Each year, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts persist for 10 to more years and are a source of at least 300, 000 tonnes of micro-plastics and toxins.
Ms. Chitindi has since emphasised that for some hazardous and unnecessary single use plastic products, an immediate ban and appropriate trade measures should be indicated.
And Green Initiative Zambia Chief Executive Officer Jonas Kunda has urged stakeholders and government to desist from promoting the planting of exotic trees.
Mr. Kunda states that when planting tree, people should be aware of the environment and climatic conditions that trees are being planted in.
He says it is unfortunate that indigenous trees are being cut and replaced with exotic trees which might not be suitable for certain environments.
