Pro-Poor Growth and Promotion of Employment in Nigeria (SEDIN), Toyin Craig-Adeniran (2nd right); and the facilitator, Modupe Eribake (L), during a sector stakeholders’ consultative forum for plastic recycling value-chain, organized by GIZ, a German concern, at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, on Wednesday, 6th April, 2022.
The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has challenged innovative engineers in the State and the country at large to design affordable baling machines to make the plastic recycling business more attractive and less capital intensive.
Baling machines, otherwise known as balers are used to compress plastic and cartons for easy recycling.
Mr Odumboni who made the observations in his keynote address at a stakeholders’ consultative forum in Ikeja, for plastic recycling value-chain, organised by a German business concern, also frowned at the use of brown-coloured pet bottles for the packaging of plastic drinks, urging companies doing such to stick to white transparent ones.
He observed that the baling component of the recycling process was a vital one, and locally fabricated machines would go a long way in simplifying the process since they would come cheaper and more easily maintained.
“Baling is an important component of the plastic recycling process. We need our innovative and enterprising engineers to come up with locally designed and manufactured baling machines that would be durable and affordable for our recycling investors. It will be easy to maintain them. If we have this, the business of plastic recycling will gradually become less capital intensive and better domesticated. This is my challenge to our local engineers and I know they can do it”.
He disclosed that no less than 500 bags of fertilizer are produced everyday from organic waste at a LAWMA facility in Odogunyan, Ikorodua, and that several tonnes of briquette from sawdust were also produced daily from another LAWMA facility at Agbowa, also in the Ikorodu division.
The LAWMA helmsman, therefore, enjoined the stakeholders’ to shun needless competition, just as he urged them to work in synergy to tap the huge economic opportunity in the business, as there are more than enough floating pet bottles to go around all investors in the value-chain.
He also took a swipe at some NGOs exploiting the process with their cosmetic engagements, describing them as a burden with their sharp and ill-intentioned practices as well as advising them to be truthful, honest and fair in their chosen endeavour.
The programme was attended by several prominent facilitators and panelists including, Dr. (Mrs.) Dolapo Fasawe, General Manager, Lagos Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA.
