Foundation, partners unveil environmental impact report

Commmunity Development Advocacy Foundation  (CODAF)  together with its partners has unveiled its Brand Audit Report, a study aimed at assessing the impact of plastic waste on the environment in Lagos, Delta, Plateau and Osun states.

The project provided the team the opportunity to identify the major types of plastic materials found in communities and the brands most represented in environmental waste streams, generating critical evidence to support advocacy, policy reform, and improved waste management practices.

In a statement by the Assist Director of Campaigns, Onyeka Venath Titigbe, CODAF regretted that plastic pollution continues to pose serious environmental, social, and economic challenges. Improperly disposed plastics clog drainage systems, contributing to flooding in cities, while also contaminating soil and waterways.

“In marine and freshwater ecosystems, plastic debris threatens biodiversity, harms wildlife through ingestion and entanglement, and breaks down into microplastics that enter the food chain.”

The statement noted that open burning of plastic waste releases toxic emissions that affect air quality and public health, increasing risks of respiratory illnesses.

Additionally, it said plastic production and disposal contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, worsening climate change impacts. For many communities, the accumulation of plastic waste also undermines livelihoods, sanitation, and overall quality of life.

Presenting the brand audit report to the media, Weyinmi Okotie said that the exercise was conducted from 2019 -2014 across several locations, namely Benin, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Warri,  Ughelli, Jos, Oshogbo, and Lagos, highlighting the widespread nature of plastic pollution across urban and semi-urban communities.

 “The findings identified Coca-Cola as one of the top brands associated with plastic pollution in the environment, after collecting  298,174 plastic items  from eight cities across Nigeria.The report underscores the urgent need for producers to take greater responsibility through improved packaging design, reduction of single-use plastics, and investment in recycling systems,” he said.

He added: “The report aligns with ongoing global efforts toward a legally binding international agreement to end plastic pollution, often referred to as the Global Plastics Treaty under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme. The treaty process seeks to address the full lifecycle of plastics — from production and design to consumption, waste management, and pollution prevention.”

 The report highlights plastic bottles (particularly PET bottles) and sachets as the most commonly found plastic materials in the environment across most of the cities visited. which underscores the growing challenge of single-use plastics and the urgent need for improved waste management, recycling systems, and responsible consumption practices.

“The presence of these plastic pollutants has contributed to poor environmental practices such as open waste burning, which in turn has deleterious effects on the environment, including air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and risks to public health.

 “There are little or no coordinated efforts in place to effectively recover plastic materials from the environment, leading to widespread pollution across communities, waterways, and ecosystems. Insights from the Brand Audit provide locally generated data that can inform Nigeria’s position in global negotiations, highlighting the importance of initiatives such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), improved waste infrastructure, reduction targets for problematic plastics, and stronger monitoring mechanisms.”

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