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Explore Huge Opportunities In Plastics Wastes Management: FG

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11 months ago

June 9, 2023

Stella Charles Akupue

Explore Huge Opportunities In Plastics Wastes Management: FG

Nigerians have been urged to get massively involved in the collection and recycling of plastic wastes to effectively check the plastic pollution of water bodies in the country, particularly the Atlantic Ocean.

The measure will also help pull many people out of poverty since plastic waste management has been identified as a very profitable business.

Some marine resource experts and waste recyclers made the call at the celebration of this year’s World Ocean Day in Lagos, organised by the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research(Niomir) in collaboration with the International Ocean Institute (IOI) -Nigeria.

Delivering a paper on the topic, “Plastic Pollution: the problems and the success stories in Nigeria,” a prominent waste recycler in Lagos, Taiwo Adewole, said plastic wastes management was a lucrative business, with an estimated daily revenue of 4 billion Naira, and over a trillion Naira every year.

Adewole explained that the revenue prospect was high because plastic wastes could be used to manufacture many other products, such as fuel for generating electricity, bricks for building, bottles, and furniture materials, amongst others and that these products are already being locally demonstrated in Lagos.

Explore Huge Opportunities In Plastics Wastes Management: FG

Taiwo Adewole, who is a consultant to the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, therefore advised Nigerians in their numbers to embrace the business of plastic wastes collection and recycling as an alternative means of revenue generation and, by so doing, contribute to ridding the nation of the non-degradable waste products.

He says, “In Nigeria, around 5 billion plastic bottles are produced annually and end up as waste. Of these, only 30% is collected by the formal and informal sectors, which means there is a gap of 70%. “But there’s a lot of innovation. And that’s why you see people collate this plastic, which is used to produce all sorts of material-the mattresses and pillows have been made from this plastic waste.

” There’s a lot of innovation ongoing, and many people are unaware. And a lot of producers are doing everything possible to reduce plastic. “What we need to do is the implementation of policy. They are many policies in place, but implementation is a problem. So the government needs to take implementation and evaluation from time to time”, he said.

Adewole stated that in Lagos State, many laws had been made to promote waste collection and recycling, but little was achieved due to a lack of enforcement.

For instance, Adewole noted that in the State, there had been a law making it mandatory for every household to get two waste bins, the green one for storing wastes to be evaluated by LAWMA and the blue one for storing plastic wastes for recyclers.

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In a remark, the Chief Researcher of the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Mr Akanbi Williams, who doubles as the Director of the International Ocean Institute (IOI)-Nigeria, said the collaboration of government, private sector and the masses was required to manage plastic wastes in the country effectively.

Mr Williams explained that the event aimed to take the people back to basics by acknowledging waste as a vast resource and their management as a sustainable alternative revenue generation. “June 8th of each year has been set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness about the critical role that the Ocean plays in our lives. The theme for this year’s event is PLANET OCEAN: THE TIDE ARE CHANGING.

“Celebration of the Ocean on this day highlights the need to address challenges such as overfishing, marine pollution, habit destruction and climate change impacts. It encourages people to adopt responsible practices such as plastic waste reduction, supporting sustainable Fisheries and protecting marine ecosystems.

It encourages international cooperation and collaboration by providing platforms for sharing knowledge, best practice and innovative solutions for the sustainable management of the Ocean.

“People are to take personal actions by participating in beach cleanups, reducing plastic consumption, supporting sustainable seafood choices and spreading awareness through social media and community initiatives. Commemorating this day shows that everyone can contribute to the well-being of our Ocean. It is time we put the Ocean first in our lives”.

Williams said that as part of its strategies to preserve the oceans and their resources, IOI established four African centres, with Nigeria in charge of the West African Sub-region.

The National President of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria, Dr Ebinimi Ansa, represented by the Vice President Dr Olalekan Oguntade, like others who delivered Goodwill messages, called for the adoption of responsible fishing methods and effective management of plastic pollution in marine ecosystems for oceans within the nation’s domain to rejuvenate and contribute more to life.

The Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and several NGOs involved in environmental sustainability efforts were among the agencies and organisations that delivered goodwill messages. The high point of the ceremony was the demonstrations and exhibitions of furniture materials produced using plastic waste. What policies are in place in Nigeria to promote waste collection and recycling?

How can the enforcement of these policies be improved? What other innovative methods are being used to manage plastic waste in Nigeria? What policies are in place in Nigeria to promote waste collection and recycling? How can the enforcement of these policies be improved? What other innovative methods are being used to manage plastic waste in Nigeria? What policies are in place in Nigeria to promote waste collection and recycling?

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