The Lagos State Government on Tuesday appealed to the residents of the state to engage in household and community recycling schemes, involving the reuse of plastic materials.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, said in a statement in Lagos that such plastics recycling would reduce the menace of plastic waste in the environment.
He urged the residents to be proactive in the fight to end plastic pollution, so as to protect and preserve the ecosystem.
Durosinmi-Etti said that as the world marked the 2018 World Earth Day on April 22, the residents of the state should be involved in efforts to protect the Earth, as it remained a blessing to mankind.
“The Earth is a blessing to mankind because it is our source of water, food, medicine, and shelter,” he said.
He said that the World Earth Day was a day set aside to appreciate and demonstrate support strategies aimed at protecting the environment.
The commissioner said that the annual event had been a flagship campaign for raising global awareness of emerging environmental issues such as climate change, marine pollution, global warming and wildlife depletion, among others.
“The Earth was a magnificent space with incredibly complex and vibrant ecosystem, where living organisms interacted with each other and their environment in order to create ideal conditions for living”.
He urged the residents to protect the biodiversity of Lagos State, while embracing acts that would promote the conservation of the environment.
He said that the 2018 edition of the World Earth Day, which had “End Plastic Pollution” as its theme, was dedicated to spreading public awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.
“It is time to recognise the need to end plastics use through persistent advocacy.
“Plastic pollution is poisoning our waters and lands, injuring marine life and affecting our overall health,” he concluded.
