Permanent Secretary of Delta State Ministry of Environment, Dr. (Mrs) Minnie Oseji, has said that the state ministry of environment has made appreciable success in recycling pet bottles just as she said the ministry is poised to ending the menace of scavengers across the state.
In the success story recorded, she revealed that the ministry has partnered with several firms involved in recycling pet bottles across the state.
Specifically, she identified Solid Chemicals Ltd which received 391.196 tonnes of items in 2022; Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance Asaba hub which received 16.45 tonnes of recycled items in 2022.
In the same vein, Solid Chemicals Ltd received 2905.761 tonnes of recycled items in 2023, which is over seven times what the firm received in 2022.
Dr. Oseji made the disclosure during a workshop the ministry organised in partnership with Green Knowledge Foundation with the theme “Zero Waste: Reduce Refuse and Recycle.”
The workshop was attended by all agencies and bodies associated with the ministry of environment and have projects executing with the ministry.
She told participants that the ministry is in a drive to eradicate the menace of scavengers at the households and dumpsites from the state.
She expressed dissatisfaction with the continued menace of scavengers, saying inspection visits by ministry officials to dumpsites in various local government areas revealed that scavengers continue to engage in the unwholesome practice of picking recyclables from by dumps by waste collectors.
She stated efforts being made by the state government to ensure zero waste initiative in the state.
According to her, the ministry has organized sensitization programs to stakeholders on zero waste with heads of environment department in the nine local government councils in Delta North, Private Sector Participants (PSPs), relevant government MDAs and landlords association.
She said the health risks faced by scavengers were highlighted, insisting that they are exposed to infectious diseases which they could transfer to their families, a development that could lead to outbreak of diseases.
She noted that key indicators indetermining success of zero waste is finding zero scavengers at dumpsites whenever ministry officials visit dumpsites across the state.
Executive director of Green Knowledge Foundation, Weyinmi Okotie, in his presentation on Zero Waste and Anti – Incineration, spoke on waste management challenges in Nigeria, why incineration should be rejected and explained waste to climate change mitigation strategies.
He identified waste management challenges in Nigeria where he said approximately 60 percent of waste is organic materials.
He listed pollution, wildlife harm, resolution depletion, management cost, loss of economic opportunities as part of waste management challenges in Nigeria.
He said zero waste concept is focused on waste prevention, saying it encourages redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are repurposed and/or re-used.
He said waste can be turned to energy through biogas, a renewable source of energy. He insisted that the device could reduce undue reliance on wood and charcoal, thereby helping to prevent deforestation and combat air pollution.
