Some environmentalists have warned Nigerians to do away with the culture that tend to worsen climate change.
The experts who spoke on the side line of the event organised to mark the Global Recycling Day in Lagos State was put together by the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES).
They noted that improper waste disposal, deforestation and gas emission cause extreme climate change that exposed life to the vagaries of nature.
In her speech, the National President of NES, Dr Dorothy Bassey, said unemployed youths could be employed in waste recycling to halt bad weather conditions.
According to Bassey, Nigerians should support efforts to mitigate climate change and its catastrophic effects as is presently being witnessed.
“It is time to act. We have reached crisis stage with regards to climate challenges.
“We must take conscious, deliberate steps to reverse this menace as over one trillion single use plastics get into the environment as they are discarded immediately after use,” she said.
She called for sensitisation of the people on the benefits of plastic waste reduction through recycling.
The environmentalist, who expressed discomfort at the nonchalance of some people towards waste recycling and management, said Nigerians must voluntarily take action across board to change the narrative.
She commended the Federal Executive Council for approving a new legislation on plastic waste.
She stressed that practical steps at the grassroots to massively embrace recycling as a way of life is the best way to go.
Founder of Urban Tree Revival Team, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Ms Omobola Eko, said indigenous trees planting culture should be imbibed.
Eko, who spoke on afforestation as a way of replenishing nature and recycling variant, said afforestation would bring back the elusive good environment devoid of weather uncertainty.
Also speaking, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), said waste recycling, especially plastic and nylon materials, would take away 50 per cent of environment pollution and reduce flooding.
Mr Solomon Adefolu, who is the Lead Climate Change Programme Officer at NCF, called on the youth to embrace efforts aimed at checking climate change for sustainability of the human habitat.
The Global Recycling Day is to reawaken public consciousness on the potentials of waste recycling to check the scourge of environmental degradation.
