COP27: The Business of Scavenging & Recycling in Nigeria

At a plastic waste dump. I'm curious to know where empty plastic bottles end up.

We generate so much #waste in Nigeria that clog up spaces, often causing a lot of harm to us and the environment. "Much of the solid waste... litter the environment, block drainage, causing flooding and air pollution" - BusinessDay (2022).

In my work in humanitarian and development support, as well as moving house, I've been able to live in different parts of the country and one thing I see that remains constant is WASTE.

I've also noticed that many waste collectors are usually males, #children, or young adults, though in some parts of the south east I found as many females as males picking waste. I also observed that many who pick waste are not beggars. It's just another source of income.

This I got to find out from a female #janitor who works in a private school in Abuja. "I pick plastics and sell them to the PANTAKER. He makes other items out of them and resells", she told me.

According to ScienceDirect, "#Informalrecycling activities in #Abuja include #wastepickers, mobile buyers, landfill pickers, #garbagecollectors and #scrap dealers who are involved in the collection and sorting and recycling of resources... The estimated quantity of recyclables generated in Abuja is 133,688 kg per day (133.688 tons per day). A waste picker earns between N1000 ($2.8) and N1500 ($4.2) per day."

While recycling is creating economic opportunities for informal waste pickers, almost none of them that I have seen, wear protective coverings while scavenging heaps of garbage, thus exposing themselves to more harm.

The Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nigeria generates some 32 million tonnes of waste per year, among the highest in #Africa - BusinessDay (2022).

Although some private bodies and NGOs have taken up the responsibility to recycle & repurpose some of this waste, it is still like a drop of #water in the #ocean. More work needs to be done by the federal, state and local governments to activate policies and effectively manage waste in the country.

- NE

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