Some experts have stressed the need for environmental education and waste management to sustain awareness on recycling among Nigerians.
They disclosed this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
The environmentalists said that recycling was one of the ways to keep the environment clean.
According to them, recycling helps to keep the environment clean and preserve our natural resources, hence the need to improve and have a sustainable awareness on recycling.
Mr Obianwu Ugochukwu, an environmentalist, said that improving environmental education was a major way to create a sustainable awareness on recycling.
“Environmental education plays a vital role in creating a sustainable awareness on recycling.
“This will help everyone to have a better understanding of the importance of recycling. People can only function optimally in what they know and understand.
“To have a sustainable awareness on recycling, there should be more campaign in schools, social gatherings and communities,” Ugochukwu said.
He also suggested that there should be a team of experts, highly motivated and interested in the environment, that would preach the awareness in communities and every street.
“This awareness should be done in a clear and simple way that even a lay man will understand the importance of recycling and how to go about it,” he added.
Mr Peter Ubaji, another environmentalist, said that “the waste management organisations in the country are one of the best options to create a sustainable awareness in recycling.”
“The waste management organisation can deliver the awareness campaign directly to the citizens.
“They can directly deliver campaigns and education on the importance of recycling to citizens on how to separate waste, reuse and recycle.
“This campaign will help citizens to change their habits, have a recycling mindset because citizens need to be convinced of the potential and importance of recycling,” he said.
An environmentalist and a recycle expert, Mr Rotimi Jaiyeoba, said that the youths have the potential to improve a sustainable awareness on recycling.
“Youths have the great potential of creating sustainable awareness on recycling.
“The government should empower the youths at all level, give them quality environmental and recycling education and encourage them to participate in environmental activities.
“The youths are the leaders of tomorrow, they can take up the responsibilities for the future now and start engaging in a sustainable awareness in recycling,” Jaiyeoba said.
Miss Abusola Oluwaseun, an environmentalist and a digital marketer, said marketing is one of the best ways to have a sustainable awareness on recycling.
“A whole range of communication and marketing channels can be used to have a sustainable awareness on recycling.
“This can include advertising, public relations, digital marketing, social media, community engagement, and product labelling.
“We can use the technology to our advantage by making use of every digital marketing platforms and technology as a whole to create standard awareness on recycling,” she said.
Oluwaseun added that developing and publicising a web page with basic useful information on where and how to recycle would help to sustain recycling in the country.
“We can also use flyers, email marketing and bulk messages, among others. All network service providers should make it a duty to disseminate information on the importance of recycling to their customers.
“The billboards are also a great way to achieve this,” she said.
Oluwaseun added that government and waste management organisations should set up recycling bins in every corner and develop incentives for recycling participants.
“It will be of a great benefit to set up recycling bins in every area and also educate citizens to make use of them,” she said.