Lagos, UNIDO partner on plastics pollution initiative
By Fabian Ekeruche
The Lagos State Government has partnered the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to curb the menace of plastic pollution through the practice of circular economy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar held on Thursday in Lagos was in partnership with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and UNIDO.
The theme of the sensitisation workshop was: “Promoting Sustainable Plastic Value Chain through Circular Economy Practices.”
Speaking at the event, Mr Oluyomi Banjo, the National Programme Coordinator, Environment and Energy, UNIDO, said the gathering of stakeholders was to discuss and proffer solutions to the menace of plastic pollution.
Banjo said years of innovation gave rise to alternative materials where people use things once and discard them because they were cheap and readily available.
“But we need to go back when we use things over and over again.
“We can achieve this through education.
” We already have a lot of sensitisation for the manufacturers.
“We also need to put some infrastructures as business owners, government and development partners,” Banjo said.
He urged consumers to be responsible towards the environment.
Banjo advised manufacturers to be innovative; to manufacture and produce with the right materials that were not only recyclable but reduces waste generation.
Banjo urged the government and development partners to know the right place to channel their support to.
In his welcome speech, the Director-General of LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, said the theme of the event was apt and instructive.
Ajayi said the theme addresses the need for a rethink on ways to treat plastic wastes.
He called for the sorting of wastes from source through reduce, reuse and recycle.
“If we want our society to be free from many negative effects of climate change, and other environmental problems, we must treat our waste including plastic waste in the globally approved standard, because doing otherwise portends great danger for our lives and the ecosystem,” Ajayi said.
He noted that the state government had been at the forefront of creating policies aimed at achieving a sustainable environment.
He listed some of the policies to include annual tree planting campaigns, participation in the annual World Environment Day celebrations, effective flood control system and climate change action plan.
He expressed gratitude to UNIDO for the partnership.
Also, a representative of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Jirinsola Olaleye, Assistant Director, said 26 million people inhabit Lagos with each person producing 0.6 kg of wastes daily.
Olaleye said the overriding objective of the authority in waste management was to change people’s perception on waste.
She urged residents to sort their wastes from source to avoid plastic pollution.
NAN reports that the event had stakeholders in the waste management value chain across the state.(NAN)(www.nannewa.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
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