The Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) embarked on a clean-up exercise at the Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos on Friday in commemoration of the World Cleanup Day, which is marked every September 15.
Volunteer staff of FBRA member-firms led traders and other users of the popular Lagos market in collecting waste from used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles towards a cleaner and healthier trading environment.
The initiative, which received the collaboration of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, was organised in collaboration with Recycle Points, FBRA’s partner involved in the collection of plastic waste for recycling.
The campaign was used to enlighten traders, shoppers, as well as members of the Nurses of-air Foundation on crucial issues relating to proper disposal and separation of plastic from metal and food waste, recycling, healthy lifestyle and other measures aimed at curbing environmental pollution.
The Assistant Director of Environmental Services, Waste Management Division at the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Tolulope Adeyo, said the state government would be interested in working with FBRA to get rid of plastic waste from the environment, especially PET bottles from the lagoon and canals, in order to save aquatic lives.
According to her, the industrialisation level in the state has generated huge waste and raised concerns from the public and private sectors, adding that FBRA’s intervention, either in collection or recycling, has saved the situation to a considerable extent.
On her part, FBRA chairman, Mrs. Folasade Morgan, said the initiative was executed to demonstrate exemplary steps for others to follow, as PET bottles caused blockage of drainages in many Nigerian towns and cities.
