The need to recycle

My first attempt at recycling was with some fellows who go around the neighbourhood shouting,

“I want to buy paper or plastic,” and we’ll gather all the papers we could sort and sell to them and make a buck later on. Later on, I started helping my neighbours get rid of their waste of newspapers and magazines, and I made some good money off that.

Another time was a small start-up I started up in a primary school where we started taking old magazines and glue and using it to create paper bags for supermarkets. We would stock them up according to sizes and sell them to supermarkets. That was my understanding of recycling; it was for profit. It’s very easy to sell recycled paper products because they have stronger after-use values for the resellers, who have other uses for them that we were not quite aware of.

As long as I can remember, people did make a habit of separating their paper waste from other forms of waste and stacking them up. I have seen people call out on Twitter that they have stacks of magazines they don’t want to just throw away in the bin and if anyone can come over to the house and pick them up. I had a friend who was a publisher of the magazine, and he also put a call out when he was moving offices that he had stacks of old magazines for anyone to come over and pick them up and make alternative use for.

We all need to Practice simple recycling habits to contribute to a cleaner environment and reduce waste. Here are some simple recycling habits that individuals can adopt:

Separation of waste: Begin by segregating your waste into different categories such as plastics, paper, glass, metals, and organic waste. This makes it easier to recycle and prevents contamination.

Reuse and Repurpose: Before throwing away items, consider whether they can be reused or repurposed. For example, glass jars can be used for storage, plastic containers can be repurposed for organizing small items, and old newspapers can be used for arts and crafts.

Plastic bottle recycling: Plastic bottles are a significant source of waste. You can help by collecting plastic bottles separately and ensuring they are properly recycled by giving them out to those who know how to handle that.

Paper recycling: Paper waste, including newspapers, magazines, and cardboard, can be recycled by those who understand the reuse value.

Composting: Organic waste, such as fruit and vegetable scraps, can be composted instead of thrown away. Composting not only reduces waste but also produces nutrient-rich soil that can be used for gardening, this is for those who have the extra space for this.

Support recycling initiatives: Stay informed about recycling initiatives and organizations in your community. Support their efforts by participating in recycling drives, awareness campaigns, or volunteering your time.

Reduce single-use items: Minimize using single-use items like plastic bags, straws, and disposable cutlery. Opt for reusable alternatives such as cloth bags, stainless steel straws, and durable cutlery.

Educate others: Spread awareness about the importance of recycling by educating your family, friends, and colleagues. Encourage them to adopt recycling habits and explain the benefits of recycling for the environment.

Recycling can take the form of photocopying or writing on both sides of the paper, using water dispensers with paper cups and fewer bottles, using energy-efficient bulbs, going solar, using inverters, using less petrol, carpooling, and also turning off all the sockets at the end of the day.

Recycling, just like anything else, needs to be a simple daily habit. The hardest part is making it a habit.

Soil pollution is something we should all be concerned about! Properly disposing of hazardous materials, having good recycling habits, and reusing common household items are simple things you can do each day to keep junk out of our soil and our food safe to eat.

Remember, recycling is a collective effort, and small individual actions can make a significant impact when practised consistently. By incorporating these simple recycling habits into your daily routine, you can contribute to a greener and more sustainable Nigeria.

I know that I impact what I can, and the world would be a much more appreciated place if personal responsibility were more broadly accepted.

It happens in steps; recycling and habits like that are steps. It’s simple, but much more effective when we are all in it together.

Thankfully, we’re having a lot of success with plastic bottles, most people separate their plastic bottles and give them out to their domestic help or others to sell. There are certain schools in Nigeria where the student pays their school fees with plastic bottle waste. Now there are more and more recycling plastic bottle plants all over the place, and it’s a sign of progress. I mean, we started with paper and now we have plastic, and we can only get better.

Recycling is important because the longer we recycle, the longer it takes before it gets to the landfills, which are far too full, and it’s very hard to get new ones because of urban expansion.

Earth has a finite amount of resources, and as the population increases and modernization develops those resources, there would be not much left for the next generation or even to go around for everyone on Earth.

OVIGHO RICHARD OKOJEVOH-CIEH.SMC.PMP.

Is a Scrum Master Certified, Project Management & HSE Professional, and the Executive Secretary of the Society for Health, Safety, and Environmental Education