"The plastic bag is considered one of the crucial elements in this battle against plastic pollution because it is consumed indiscriminately, particularly due to the lack of ecological awareness, a consequence of the lack of environmental education in the country", said today the executive director of EcoAngola, Érica Tavares.
To reverse the "worrying situation", EcoAngola implements a pilot project for conservation and environmental education, called Angola Without Plastic, financed by the European Union Delegation in Angola.
Speaking to Lusa, Érica Tavares said that the project aims to raise awareness about the "responsible consumption" of disposable plastic, that is, single-use plastic, particularly plastic bags and bottles.
Creating a "dialogue between the main parties involved in the trade and use of disposable plastics and also sharing good practices of responsible and conscious consumption" are part of the specific objectives of the project.
According to the official, the European Union delegation in Angola considers that consumption is an effective approach to an intervention on waste management in Angola. "particularly due to the young population, economic issues and the social and environmental impact caused by the rapid expansion of urban centers in Angola", she stressed.
Face-to-face and online campaigns about the need for responsible use of the disposable plastic bag will run until next August.
The project also involves waste collection campaigns, as a way of raising awareness and awareness campaigns with cultural activities.
A study on citizens' awareness of the use of disposable plastic and the establishment of strategic partnerships to understand the amount of disposable plastic distributed daily in the city of Luanda are still among the goals of the project.
The National Solid Waste Agency of Angola announced in 2019 that a total of 12.4 million plastic bags were distributed daily in Angola, mainly by commercial establishments.
