Irresponsible disposal of plastics and plastic bags, commonly known as ‘Kavera’, has become a danger to the environment.
While appearing at the opening of a plastics recycling plant in Matugga, on the outskirts of Kampala, President Museveni warned Ugandans against the irresponsible disposal of plastics and plastic bags.
Plastic pollution is currently one of the biggest environmental concerns due to the rise of single-use plastics
Increased plastic pollution has highly degraded Uganda’s ecosystem.
The increasing rate of Plastic-Kavera pollution has led to the loss of aquatic life, frequent flooding of rivers, and loss of fertility in soils on which Ugandans survive.
The effect
Polythene and all plastic materials are non-biodegradable environmentally hazardous components since they can’t be broken down so easily into smaller pieces by soil micro-organisms for their use, leaving alone plants for their growth and development.
When a ‘kavera’ falls on the ground, no water can percolate through into the soil for plant use. When the ‘buvera’ are burnt, they contribute immensely to air pollution, leading to reduced plant yield in the previously agricultural and food hubs, fatal lung complications that the medical profession has witnessed rising every other year, especially in adult persons, an occurrence that had been rare few years ago. This has manifested as asthma-like attacks often leading to death.
The fumes that arise from our burning of ‘Kavera’ contain hazardous hydrocarbons in the ozone layer, leading to the unchecked passage of dangerous ultra and ultraviolet rays to the earth, which results in global warming on the earth’s surface. Human cancers surge. It is also believed that packed foods, water and other liquids in buvera are infused with smaller toxic particles as a result of photo-degradation. This is the reason why it’s not advisable to drink water or any other drink that has overstayed in a plastic bottle or Kavera.
Plastic bags cause slow and painful death for animals through choking and starvation when digested.
They clog drainage systems, streams, and channels and have a negative aesthetic impact on our communities.
Closer to home is the negative impact of Kaveera on human health as it has been found to be carcinogenic.
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) says 51% of the plastic garbage in the city is not collected and ends up in drainage channels, wetlands, natural water courses, manholes, undeveloped plots, and on the roadside. In Uganda, less than 5% of plastic is recycled yet plastic can take over 450 years to decompose completely.
According to NEMA, Uganda generates 600 tonnes of plastic wastes daily.
The government of Uganda has kept silent on this issue, putting the next generation at risk.
