By Uzor Odigbo
Environment experts have urged government regulatory agencies to enact enabling laws to speed up all forms of plastic collection and recycling to mitigate Cancer related health conditions.
Speaking at the 4th Lagos Waste Forum tagged, ‘Investing in Plastic Recovery Towards A Circular Economy,’ one of the Stakeholders Mrs Aderonke Odeneye, board Chairperson Lagos State Waste Forum, said concerted effort should be made by govt regulatory agencies to ensure that plastic materials in any form are not allowed to litter on any environment.
Mrs. Odeneye emphasied that some of the Cancerous health hazards faced by many in Nigeria emanated from feeding on fish and birds living in aquatic environment which had fed on liquid plastics.
Other stakeholders who commented through panel of discussion, also alluded to the fact that plastic by-products used in Manufacturing clothes and other fabrics are also injurious to health.
Some Cosmetics women use for Make-ups are by-product of plastics and should be avoided.
The panelists, sighting examples on how waste especially Plastics are disposed abroad, argued that government through its regulatory agencies should place monitory rewards for plastic waste pickers, obtain health Insurance policy and officially register them for easy regulation and empowerment.
The panelists drawn from among notable institutions on environment opined that Nigeria is facing environmental digredation because moral values are lacking in schools which had negatively impacted on school children in particular, homes and society in general.
They concluded by advising government and stakeholders on the need to empower waste pickers towards intensifying efforts in investing in plastic collection and recycling.
The Forum was organised by SWEEP Foundation led by Amb. Phillips Obuesi and gave out awards to deserving stakeholders for their determination and success in the sector.
Obuesi lauded participants for attendance and intellectual contributions which made the forum a huge success
