Mottainai Recycling Ltd, Oyo State’s waste management consultants, working with the Oyo State Government through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Youths and Sports, carried out a clean-up exercise in Ibadan, the state capital, to mark World Cleanup Day 2022. This special intervention happened at Oja Anajere, Academy Community Market, Iwo Road.
The location has, over the years, been notorious for its waste blackspot.
As part of events marking the day, volunteers and ad hoc Environmental Health Officers carried out a sensitisation and awareness campaign within the market and the adjoining community. Residents were taught how a waste-free environment could help them maximise sales and prevent the outbreak of diseases in their community. They were also engaged on how to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle.
Speaking at the event, Chief Sustainability Officer of Mottainai Recycling Ltd, Deborah Fadeyi, who represented the Managing Director, Adey Adewuyi, explained that the World Cleanup Day 2022 was about sensitising people to adopt lifestyle changes that promote a cleaner environment.
Fadeyi said Mottainai Recycling picked an unconventional location to commemorate World Clean Up Day 2022 to ensure that the community followed the principle of the Duty of Care in their day-to-day activities. She emphasised that Mottainai Recycling chose the market to start a new drive that would help more market persons and members of the community to turn waste into wealth.
On his part, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Environmental Matters, Engr. Ademola Aderinto, who represented the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Abiodun Oni, described the event as “well-thought-out”.
He applauded the cleaning up of the black spots at Iwo Road while sensitising traders, market women, commercial transport drivers and the general public on climate change, the dangers and effects of indiscriminate dumping of waste and other negative waste disposal practices.
He also encouraged the market women to sort their waste for recycling purposes and avoid dumping waste on the median. The authorities also used to opportunity to seal up shops whose owners had refused to heed earlier warning notices.
The World Cleanup Day 2022 event featured fun and educative activities, including a fashion show powered by the Waste Museum. Fashionable pieces of jewellery made out of scraps of materials, plastic bottles, toilet rolls, ropes, tyres and other waste items were showcased by participants. Additionally, the “Recyclables for Rewards” segment had participants winning instant rewards for recyclables such as PET, plastics, and cartons.
For every 1kg of PET, participants were rewarded with one aluminium can of drink (market value of N300), while for every 1kg of carton recyclable, the reward was one aluminium can of drink and one bottled water (market value of N500).
At the end of this exercise, Mottainai Recycling Ltd recovered over Five thousand, One hundred and seventy (5,170) kilograms of plastics and over one thousand one hundred (1,100) kilograms of recyclable cartons.
Also, as part of the event, Adbond Harvest and Homes facilitated a raffle draw. Mrs Oguntade Nofisat, a thrift ware vendor in the market, walked away with the grand prize of a parcel of land (150 square meters).
At the end of the event, the market executives and stakeholders expressed their deep gratitude to the organisers. They pledged to adopt the required lifestyle changes.
Consequently, the Chief Operations Officer of Mottainai Recycling Ltd, Seun Fasuhanmi, announced that with the support of the Oyo State Government, Mottainai Recycling Ltd was considering using the Academy Market as a pilot recycling hub.
The Mottainai Recycling/ Oyo State Government World Cleanup Day 2022 was supported by Nigerian Breweries (NB), Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Country Kitchen, YALI Network Oyo State Chapter, FoodCo and Adbond Harvest and Homes.
