ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, ASSESSMENT AND IMPACTS OF PLASTIC WASTE ON COMMUNITY-LED MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA
Keywords:
Plastic Waste, Environmental Sustainability, Impacts, Mitigation StrategiesAbstract
The study examined the environmental sustainability, assessment and impact of plastic waste on community-led mitigation strategies in Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve this, two research hypotheses were posed. A descriptive research design was employed, with a population of 413,321 registered couples spread across the three Education Zones in Cross River State and sample size of 1,178 respondents drawn through multistage sampling technique. The instrument used for the study was a structured questionnaire called “Plastic Pollution and Environmental Sustainability (PPAES). The PPAES comprised of four sections (A, B, C and D). The instrument for data collection was validated by three experts in Measurement and Evaluation in University of Calabar. Cronbach alpha reliability method was used to test the reliability coefficients of .70 and data were analyzed using Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation, multiple regression analysis, Findings revealed that Plastic pollution levels, Residents’ awareness, and Community engagement efforts did not significantly impact on environmental sustainability. The study concluded that, while community participation and public awareness are valuable, they must be accompanied by effective structural reforms to yield substantial sustainability outcomes. Recommendations included among others, strengthening policy implementation mechanisms, addressing financial and logistical barriers, restructuring community engagement strategies, and fostering inter-agency collaboration.Downloads
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