By Bisola Adeyemo
 
The Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) has launched a ‘Cycle Plast project’ to curtail plastic waste menace across Nigeria.
 
Speaking on the project, in Abuja on Tuesday, Bankole Oloruntoba, CEO of NCIC said the project will promote a plastic waste-free environment derived from modified behavior and proper disposal habits of communities.
 
The project, funded by the Coca-Cola Foundation, aims to improve a healthy environment and create jobs through the recycling of plastic waste generated in Nigeria.
 
“While creating jobs and unlocking opportunities along the plastic waste recycling value chain of Nigeria.
 
“The Cycle Plast project aims to significantly curb the plastic waste menace across Nigeria by leveraging and empowering the informal waste collection sector with resources aimed at improving their productivity to collect good grade PET plastics and connecting them to plastic waste collectors within their communities.
 
“This will help in integrating the informal sector to work in synergy with the formal sector towards creating a viable value chain for plastic waste recycling
 
“This project will engage the general public through innovative and disruptive behaviour change campaigns on consumption and disposal patterns of single-use PET plastic bottles with the aim of encouraging plastic consumers to responsibly dispose of their plastic waste to enhance and build an effective collection system,” Oloruntobe said.
 
He also noted that the informal sector is responsible for about 70 percent of the plastic collection rate in the country and needs to be supported to do more by digitizing the sector and making it more inclusive and attractive for investments.