Awka, Nigeria – The Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA), has urged residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste to protect the environment and earn money.
Mr Ikenna Nwanegbo, Head of Enforcement, ASWAMA, made the call during a public sensitisation walk on Thursday in Awka, the Anambra capital.
The walk was in collaboration with
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Coca-cola and TechnoServe,through the Nigerian Plastic Solutions Activities.
Nwanegbo said: “Our people need to know that plastic pollution is poisoning our land and entire environment. It is also injuring marine life and affecting our health.
“We are calling on everyone to turn their plastic into a money making venture by selling them to ASWAMA and TechnoServe rather than disposing them wrongly or indiscriminately.
“This way, we can achieve a cleaner, greener and sustainable Anambra state as well as make the ecosystem safe for all.”
Also speaking, Mr Franklin Nwarieibe, Senior Business Adviser, TechnoServe, urged the public to stop dumping plastic waste inside drainages and on the roads as it affects the ecosystem and causes flooding.
Nwarieibe said the sensitisation programmes was to educate residents on how they can turn their plastic waste to money by taking them to designated centres in the state.