An environmentalist, Dr. Tom Aneni, has called on the Edo State government to ban the use of single-use plastics to check environmental pollution and erosion menace in the state.

Aneni, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI), made the call at the Stakeholders’ Forum on Community Pact Towards a Greener Future – A Zero Waste Approach’ held in Benin.

He noted that the forum was to bring stakeholders in waste management together to throw more light on the municipal solid waste management, especially plastic, and discuss the way forward to be able to manage waste better in the state.

He said the group is proposing that the Edo state government ban single-use plastics because “we have a throw-away culture use plastic, which has become a menace in the state”.

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“So, we are encouraging the government to also see the possibility of extending that as a part of the solution to single-use plastics because this is already a big challenge.

Aneni said Lagos State is one of the states that has placed a ban on single-use plastics and it has helped not only in keeping the state clean but making the drains free from blockades.

“The ban on single use plastic is one proposition that we have made today in this meeting to the Ministry of Environment”, he said

On his part, the chairman, Accredited Waste Manager, Edo State, Mr. Odolevbo Haruna, said for a cleaner state to be guaranteed, “we must imbibe the message of catch them young”.

“We must take the message of clean environment to the schools by establishing waste management clubs in both primary and secondary school, just like the with a view to catch the children young.