Waste Reduction

The amount of municipal trash collected in Nigeria in 2006-2007 (the last period for which full figures are available) rose by 1.4 per cent, seven times more than the average so far this century.

Yet household and school rubbish makes up less than 330million tons of wastes being produced in Nigeria each year. There is an enormous need to recycle instead of sending wastes to landfill and dump sites because landfill sites are almost full, too.

For example, paper recycling reduces trees that have carbon ‘locked up in them’ from being cut down. When a tree is cut down and burned with the availability of oxygen, it forms carbon dioxide, a green house gas- which is one of the contributors to climate change.

Cutting our impact on the environment is important. We aim to achieve this by introducing to public schools paper and plastic recycling bins, composting, and use of Biogas. Public schools will serve as a planned entry strategy into the larger communities. Initially, we will calculate carbon footprints in selected schools. A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of CO₂ emitted in a year. An average person is said to emit 9400kg per year on carbon dioxide.

Nigerian Public School Program

We have instituted Green Flag Awards for Nigerian Public Schools. Through this, every participating school is rated and measured on a green flag status. Green Flag Awards are presented to schools that have tried to reduce their negative impact upon the earth.This project is partnering with the government, which is also striving to replace plastic bags with cotton alternatives in order to help save the environment and encourage everybody to “Go green”.

Cotton and Jute bags would be strategically re-introduced in these schools. Doing so will reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation, support the environmental campaign, and cut costs. This campaign highlights how environmentally problematic plastic packaging has become.