Amuru, Uganda: In commemoration of World Environment Day, ESAFF Uganda Thursday, 5th June, spearheaded a grassroots campaign to tackle plastic pollution in Amuru District, adopting a community-based approach that engages farmers’ groups, school pupils, and local residents.
Julius Engwedo, the Program Assistant for the Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Program at ESAFF Uganda, explained that integrating various local actors is crucial to building a strong network to fight plastic pollution.
“We’ve brought together school Agroecology Clubs and farmer groups to strengthen awareness and action,” he said. “We decided to target young people and farmers because they are key contributors to pollution. We targets youth to ensure cross-generational knowledge transfer to foster sustainable solutions to end plastic waste while appreciating their role in protecting the environment.”
As part of the day’s activities, residents marched through Olwal Mucaja trading center, collecting plastic waste scattered in the area. Afterward, women-led farmers’ groups and community members participated in a demonstration on proper plastic waste disposal and recycling. One of the innovative practices introduced included reusing plastic bottles for kitchen gardening.
Arop Simon Kelemento, the Workers’ Representative on the Amuru District Council, welcomed ESAFF Uganda’s initiative to bring the World Environment Day celebrations to Lamogi Subcounty.
“There’s been a huge gap in plastic waste management because many people don’t know what to do with it. It’s already choking some of our town centers,” he said. “I urge the business community and everyone in urban centers to take this seriously. Stop littering plastic waste. A clean environment is essential to our health and well-being.”
Every year on June 5, World Environment Day serves as the United Nations’ principal platform for raising awareness and driving global environmental action. The 2025 theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution,” highlights an urgent crisis the world is facing. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), over 430 million tons of plastic are produced annually.
Two-thirds of which becomes waste after just one use. Shockingly, about 11 million tons of plastic ends up in oceans and water bodies every year, a figure projected to triple by 2040 without urgent intervention if nothing is done.
Plastic pollution infiltrates every aspect of life ranging from the food, to the air which poses serious risks to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human health.
In Uganda, the problem is also acute in urban areas. For example, Kampala city is reported to produce over 600 tons of plastic waste daily, with less than 10% being effectively recycled, according to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). Improper plastic disposal clogs drainage systems, degrades farmlands, and pollutes major water bodies like Lake Victoria.
Hakim Baliraine, Chairperson of ESAFF Uganda, said this year’s theme is in line with their commitment to agroecology, sustainability, and farmer-led solutions and they have decided to empower smallholder farmers with knowledge and skills to turn plastic waste into tools of provide solutions.
“We see plastic pollution not just as waste, but as a threat to our very survival,” said Hakim Baliraine, Chairperson of ESAFF Uganda. “Uganda, like much of the world, is already feeling the devastating impacts of plastic pollution. World Environment Day gives us millions of reasons to act now for nature, for agriculture, and for our future.”
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