As per the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources’ recent communication, this year’s World Ocean Day will be celebrated under the theme ‘Revitalisation; collective action for the ocean’.
The theme focuses on the need to conserve the marine resources sustainably, or in such a way that it benefits the current and future generations.
Hence, as we celebrate the global Ocean Day, I feel the need to discourse a significant and brief matter vis-à-vis the environmental safety.
In 2019, the Namibian government gazetted a mandatory plastic environmental levy fee of N$0.50 on plastic material, such as carry bags and refuse bags.
It should be acknowledged that this was indeed a smart move for all the authorities involved in making this possible.
However, the fact that this levy was established to serve as a way of protecting the environment is somewhat controversial, looking at how things have been after its introduction to date.
There is no distinction before and after this levy was established in relation to the use of plastic bags as per my observation.
I understand several shops are charging N$1.00 per plastic bag these days, and this sees the sales of plastic bags increasing despite the so-called levy.
This means that, despite the existence of the environmental plastic levy, plastic bags are still used as in the old days.
This is happening because plastic bags are not costly. We certainly cannot complain about purchasing a plastic bag, since it costs just a single dollar.
Additionally, very few people bother to reuse the plastic bags they purchased, still due to the fact that plastic bags are cheap.
However, one thing we do not know is how much damage is done to the environment by plastics we throw away after using them.
I am personally more concerned about the ocean, since it is one of the key contributors to the socioeconomic wellbeing of the Namibian people. However, any other environments are equally considered, with regards to the pollution of plastic bags. One thing that stands out in this year’s World Ocean Day theme is the phrase ‘Collective action for the ocean’, and I don’t think we are doing enough, collectively, as a nation, regarding the subject matter.
Plastic bags are still seen everywhere, especially in the coastal towns, which, in most cases, experience windy weathers.
These plastic bags always end up in the ocean, and I presume at this stage everyone knows about what happens next when the plastics get into our precious ocean.
Not only do plastic bags end up in the sea, but they also end up in other environments such as rivers, lakes, dams and in woodlands or forests.
Livestock farming could also be affected by the use of plastic bags if they are not recycled.
There have been several cases of livestock in the northern parts of the country dying because they have consumed plastic bags, which prevents their digestive system to function as usual.
All these facts about plastic bags can attest to the fact that the establishment of the environmental plastic levy is just compromising the safety of the environment, instead of protecting it, and we, as a nation, must act collectively to stop this.
If the intervention of the levy in the use of plastic bags is yielding the same environmental impacts without this intervention, how about a total elimination of the use of plastic bags for shopping?
A transition from plastic bags to the use of paper carrier bags will have a positive outcome vis-à-vis the environmental wellbeing.
Although some shops have an option for paper carrier bags, most people still opt to buy plastic bags, since they are cheaper than the paper carrier bags.
However, mathematics wise, one would have spent more on plastic bags per month, compared to one paper carrier bag, which can be used throughout the year, since it is easily recyclable and very convenient to carry all sorts of groceries.
Therefore, I am calling on the total elimination of the use of plastic bags as carrier bags, and emphasising on the use of paper carrier bags instead.
There is so much literature that talks about man and his effects to the environment, but do we ever try to think creatively to eliminate such effects, which turns out to be caused by us?
We only have one ocean, and we should try by all means to avoid some of the anthropogenic effects on our environments by reviewing some of these policies and try to establish an environmental equilibrium.
*Medusalem Jairus is a BSc (Hons) degree holder in Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences. The opinion expressed herein is utterly his own.