Groups cleanup beach, conduct brand audit of plastic waste

In commemoration of the World Clean up Day 2020, the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria), the Beach Samaritans Initiative and Kids Beach Garden on Saturday 19 September 2020, joined others across the world to cleanup the beach at Army Cantonment, Bonny Camp Shoreline, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The exercise attended by children and volunteers culminated in brand audit of plastic materials found at the beach to identify and expose the major polluters in the country as it was done globally.

Executive Director, SRADev Nigeria, Dr. Leslie Adogame, said it is an annual exercise to identify an environmental hotspot to raise awareness and showcase what it means to cleanup the environment.

Adogame who disclosed that brand audit of the plastic materials that pollute the beach will be conducted, called for total ban of single use of plastic materials. He went further, “If you ban single use of plastic, we would not find a place like this.

“We will sort out the plastic here and tell you the five highest plastic polluters. We did it last year and we are going to do it again this year to expose the highest plastic polluters”.

The SRADev Nigeria boss, who bemoaned the menace of plastic pollution, disclosed that a coalition of non-government orgainsations will hold a three-day nationwide campaign next month and draw and action plan for the plastic polluters.

He added that the brand audit exercise is a global event under the auspices of Break Free from Plastic (BFFP) initiative.

President, Beach Samaritans Initiative, Sola Alamutu, said a lot of people use plastic and throw them away ending up in the sea.

She added that people should reduce the way they use plastic and recycle it for a cleaner environment.

Founder, Kids Beach Garden, Doyin Ogungbe, encourage people to change their lifestyle and reduce the use of plastic. She expressed delight that Lagos State is participating in the global event.

World Cleanup Day (aka WCD) is an annual global social action program aimed at combating the global solid waste problem, including the problem of marine debris. It is coordinated by the Estonian organization Let’s Do It! World.

The event, celebrated with litter cleanup and waste mapping activities spanning every time zone. World Cleanup Day is held over the course of a 24-hour period, on the 3rd Saturday of September annually. The WCD aims to raise awareness of the mismanaged waste crisis by mobilizing all spheres of society to participate in cleanup actions. Individuals, governments, corporations and organisations are all encouraged to take part in cleanups and to find solutions to tackle mismanaged waste.