By Obiabin Onukwugha
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), has called on youths to adopt a “Zero Waste” management strategy as a panacea to climate change, environmental pollution and ensuring a clean and health environment.
This is coming as ERA/FoEN, in collaboration with the Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) Youth ambassadors, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Zero Waste Ambassadors and Students Environmental Assembly of Nigeria, University of Benin Chapter, took the message of Zero Waste and Waste Segregation to young people at the Iyoba Girls College (Senior and Junior) in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, on Thursday.
Speaking to the students during the campaign program, Project Officer Waste Management of ERA/FoEN, Melody Enyinaya, stated that poor waste management is not just a challenge to the environment but also to the climate with the trending heat waves as an example of one of the consequences of improper waste management.
She stated that indiscriminate waste disposal and the menace of single use plastic poses danger to natural habitation, which could lead to flooding and other environmental hazards.
Enyinaya noted that single use plastics are made from fossil fuels and contains chemicals that are harmful to the human body.
While encouraging the students to practice segregation and waste recycling for a zero waste economy, the ERA/FoEN Waste Management Project Officer also warned against waste incineration, stressing that it is an improper method of waste disposal, which can cause several health complications.
The visiting team also donated Waste Baskets for segregation to the schools, to teach the student on how to separate waste for recycling.
While receiving the donations from ERA/FoEN, the Principal of Iyoba Girls College, Pat Akin-Omorodion, commended the group for the initiative, stressing that teaching proper waste management to the young is a good start to proper environment protection.
She also commended ERA/FoEN and other organizations for providing waste baskets for segregation, which according to her is a good example for proper waste management.
