By:Barseks Recycling
Barseks Recycling introduces the Cleaner City Initiative (CCI), a community-focused recycling system to facilitate the collection of plastic waste by partnering with waste management companies, NGOs and locals to promote cleaner streets, imbibe the culture of recycling and effectively create employment. Since December 2019, this initiative has recorded remarkable success in Edo state by collecting, aggregating and shipping over 450 tonnes of plastic waste, with the view of expanding this progress to the entire nation.
Nigeria is estimated to generate about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, most of which ends up in water bodies, on beaches, landfills, and sewage systems. To efficiently tackle our plastic waste disposal challenge, CCI is directed at creating awareness on the importance of safe and clean environs by educating locals on the values of recycling, as well as, incentivize consumers and business owners to collect and properly dispose of recyclable waste.
In 2018, nearly 200,000 tonnes of plastic waste were reportedly dumped into the ocean, a figure expected to rise in the future due to the increase in the demand and consumption of plastic filled goods.
If left unchecked, such a negative development will be hazardous to our environment and the wellbeing of our communities.
To create a more sustainable environment, the Cleaner City Initiative operates by involving the major players on both sides of the table, to collect over 1500 tonnes of voluntarily disposed of plastic waste annually.
On one side, locals and localized businesses will benefit from actively participating in the CCI through a reward system designed to provide health insurance, ticket lotteries and renovation programs.
CCI is also estimated to generate over 2 million dollars annually for waste management businesses in participating states. This way, everyone benefits from working together to create cleaner cities.
“Plastic waste makes up a large chunk of our waste,” said Obaseki Osamagbe, CEO, Barseks Recycling.
“We have to clean up our streets, neighbourhoods, gutters and use the revenue from recycling these materials to benefit our communities.
The goal here is to take advantage of the innovation in plastic recycling technology to reduce pollution, create jobs and enrich the life of every Nigerian.”
Through this collaborative system, Barseks Recycling will create a range of projects to develop economically viable and environmentally sustainable solutions for converting plastic waste into more valuable materials.
In line with the UN sustainable development goals, CCI recovered over 8 million plastic bottles from Benin City in 2020, by strategically placing Barseks Recycling cages at street corners, shopping centres, and working with local plastic waste collectors to encourage voluntary plastic disposal.
“We are confident at the prospect of the Cleaner City Initiative to become a potential solution and a better way of combating our plastic waste problem by not only collecting waste but also building a culture of individual responsibility.
A culture that encourages everyone to properly dispose of plastic waste and get rewarded for doing so,” said Obaseki Osamagbe, CEO, Barseks Recycling.
Barseks Recycling is an energy-efficient recycling company playing a key role in enhancing the adoption of innovative plastic waste disposal, management and recycling in Nigeria.
