The CEO of Trashusers Services, Mr Seun Bode, shared his vision and achievements with us in an exclusive interview.
“The journey started seven years ago, with a group of five young people serving as volunteers. We have been able to carry out over 30 events, which include ocean cleanup, community sensitization, and kids upcycling. Presently, we have over 150 volunteers,” he said.
He explained that kids upcycling is a program where they teach children how to turn their daily waste into artifacts such as flower vases, pencil cases, etc.
“Kids are the future of our planet, and we want to instill in them the habit of reusing and recycling. They also get to express their
creativity and have fun while learning,” he added.
Despite the current economic hardship faced in the country, Bode said that people still buy plastic products and other drinks and food items, resulting in a lot of waste.
“The wastes are everywhere. You can see them on the streets, in the gutters, in the waterways. They pose a threat to the environment and public health. That’s why we collect them and turn them into valuable materials that can be used again,” he said.
He, however, expressed concerns about the difficulty in getting volunteers because of the cost of transportation.
“We hold virtual events for volunteers just to encourage them and keep them abreast of what we are doing. We don’t know why people don’t show up at times, even for the virtual events. It still concerns the economy because it’s either they are busy with other things to make money or they don’t have money to buy data,” he lamented.
He said that the team is getting prepared for the Global Recycling Day 2024, coming up on March 18.
“We will observe the day at Yaba Tech. We will go around and sensitize the community as well as clean up the environment. On the 23rd of March, we will be around Ipaja axis, command side, to sensitize residents, clean the environment, and guide them to where to take the wastes to for recycling to ensure continuity,” he said.
He appealed to the government and private individuals to donate to their cause of promoting a circular economy as the welfare of volunteers is getting increasingly difficult due to the current level of inflation the country is experiencing.
He, however, commended LAWMA for providing some cleaning tools whenever a request is made.
“We appreciate the support we get from LAWMA and other partners. We hope to get more support from the government and the public. We believe that together, we can make a difference and create a cleaner and greener Nigeria,” he concluded.