BOBO-DIOULASSO: NON-BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BAGS DEGRADE THE ENVIRONMENT

Introduction :

 Bobo-Dioulasso, the economic capital of Burkina Faso, is being transformed into a veritable landfill, toxifying the environment; an issue that requires particular attention given the strategic location of the city.

 

Poor management of plastic bags

Commonly called the town of Sya, Bobo-Dioulasso has yet to reach the stage of cleanliness even after hosting the independence celebrations in 2010. This town, a centre for the Economic Community of African States The West (ECOWAS), is besieged by household waste, particularly non-biodegradable plastic bags widely used in Burkina Faso. The use of these non-degradable bags has significant ecological consequences.

 

The impacts of plastic bags

 As the name suggests, non-biodegradable plastic bags are designed not to break down. After use, they litter the streets and float in already polluted stagnant water, further degrading the environment. Another consequence of the widespread use of these non-biodegradable plastic bags is the clogging of drainage channels intended for rainwater. This leads to excessive accumulation of water, turning these channels into potential threats to human life. For example, sector 21 becomes dangerous during the rainy season.

 The stacking of non-biodegradable plastic bags also contributes to the proliferation of mosquitoes, aggravating malaria, a disease that claims thousands of victims in Burkina Faso each year.

 

Call for responsibility of the authorities

 Given these consequences, the authorities must find palliative solutions for environmental sanitation and the well-being of the population. Above all, there should be an emphasis on awareness, highlighting the dangers associated with the use of such waste. However, due to the capitalist policies adopted since 1991, the state has limits in its control over the commercial sector.

 

Conclusion

In a conciliation between the environmental and economic sectors, companies producing biodegradable bags could be created. Awareness campaigns should also encourage the use of trash cans to properly channel waste properly, thereby protecting the health of residents. Just as in the forestry sector with the “special forest surveillance brigade”, a brigade specialised in environmental monitoring could be set up.

Sékou Cherif DERA

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