..pledges one million naira reward to community that picks highest plastic waste products
Anambra state government has placed a sum of one million naira to any community that picked the highest quantity of plastic waste products with in one month in their areas.
ANN reports that Anambra government made the pledged through the State Commissioner for Environment, Engineer Felix Odimegwu, during the official launch of the competition in Awka, on Thursday .
Odimegwu who noted that plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental problems in the world, said that the theme of the 2023 World Environment Day which focuses on the solution to plastic pollution globally, raises awareness on what everyone must do to mitigate the problem.
The commissioner revealed that the purpose of the challange was in line to actualize the vision of Governor Chukwuma Soludo in making Anambra State a Green, Clean and Sustainable State in Nigeria.
While ensuring even spread of opportunity for participating communities, Odimegwu noted that one hundred and seventy-nine communities have been grouped into three categories of urban, semi-urban and rural with winner from each category going home with the sum of one million naira while second and third runners goes home with five and two hundred thousand naira respectively.
He announced that the plastic recovery challenge would be carried out at community levels within the one hundred and seventy-nine communities in the twenty-one local government areas of the state.
Explaining further, the Commissioner stressed that each of the one hundred and seventy-nine communities will have one month to pick up plastic waste around their area, while the community that collected the largest number of plastics will go home with the prize money.
He said that to achieve a plastic-free Anambra State, all residents must practice the five-Rs in waste management and principles of circular economy which are: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle, as they target to get rid of ten thousand tons of plastics, stuck in streets, homes, drainages and waterways
ANN gathered that the Plastic Recovery Challenge is in collaboration between the State Government and Anambra State Waste Recyclers Association, (ASWRA).
