A non-governmental organization called “Developmental Association for Renewable Energy” has embarked on collecting various waste plastic in kaduna metro polis with the aims of recycling them into interlocking-tilles, blocks, and roofing –tilles, and so many other thing for decorating houses, so as to protect the environment.
The Chief Executive Officer of the organization Engr Yahaya Ahmed during an interview with the press in kaduna north –western Nigeria ,he explained that the technology is the first of its kind in Nigeria and some part of African countries.
Yahaya says ,”This tried-and-tested new technique of turning waste plastic into interlocking-tilles, blocks and roofing-tilles is very low-cost and helps keep plastic waste out of the environment completely,
He said,”we have been with the idea for a long time on how to recycled the waste plastic that is disturbing our society and polluting the environment every day.
“We are in contact with our partner organization in Germany and United Kingdom UK,but the real idea comes from waste AID UK.”
Adding that “we plain having them in Nigeria for training our people,but things were not ready at that time ,so they did the training in Cameroon and after they told us ,there are good people in Cameroon that can come to Nigeria and trained other interesting citizens ,,and it would easy for us,and that is the reason why they send one of them to come to kaduna and trained our people.”
Yahaya pointed out clearly that ,the waste plastic interlocking-tilles is more stronger and ever-lasting than the normal interlock-blocks that are been sold in the markets.
According to him, it would takes hundreds of years to decomposes,because the interlocking tilles were being constructed with purely plastic waste, adding also that there is a market for the product.
He said, we want to trained many Nigerians this new technology ,so as to reduce unemployment, fight poverty and reduce idleness among Youth,and other jobless graduate with street beggars, so as to engaged them ,in other to become self-employed in the future.
“We are targeting training 1000 unemployment youth including women and unemployed graduate from various institutions across 36 states of Nigeria.”
Furthermore, he said, “we buy the plastic and measure it in kilo and pay in cash to waste collectors and other scavengers.”
He said, the plastic has a lot of impact to the community,environment , human health and even to agricultural land, that is why we are using our technology to recycled them and help Nigerian transformed them into money.
We have started training many interested people, and we are hoping to see that those that received the training would also trained other people,so as to spread the ideas across, in other to save our environment against all forms of environmental threat and dangers associated with environmental degradation and waste pollution.
He said that “our greatest challenges is how to get-government be involved into this programed, so as to have large number of youth involved in the training and how can Government help to sustained youth engagement into this programmed.
Yahaya is the engineer who construct the first plastic bottled house in Africa that can last for over 200 years,,The House is located at Yalwa Village, which is alone kaduna-zaria road.
He also said, “The house was the first of its kind in Africa ,though we trained many students and youths who are actually displaying the talent of what they learnt at the centre to other places in Northern Nigeria.
“Indeed Recycling of waste plastics is one of the best technologies to avoid environmental air pollution from burning the plastics. As the human population continues to increase, the quantity of solid wastes generation also increases, that is the government need solution.”
Yahaya said, “We must join hand in tackling all the challenges disturbing our environment, we must support government at all cost in bringing an end to deforestation and pollution in order to save our country from climate changes.
Responding, Mr pierre Kamsouloum who is international consultant-trainer,an expert on recycling plastic from Cameroon says, it is really interesting coming to Nigeria to trained more young people who are interested in learning new technology in transforming waste plastic to something importance in the society.
He said,”this idea comes around 12 years ago in my country Cameroon in my town Garowa and few year later, I joined other organization to spread the messages which involved travelling from one country to another.
“We are here in Nigeria to teach other youth how to collect waste plastic from the trash centre ,and transformed it into something that is useful for the construction of houses and other interior decoration.”
“It is my joy to see that many youth joined the training, so as to help fight unemployment and poverty.”
He said, “I trained the youth how to collect the waste plastic,wash it and dry-it before putting it into a big pot for melting while mixing it with sand that is extracted from Kaduna River”
He said, the interlocking -tilles is very fast to dry and its very interesting.
Mallam Siba Ahmed Dala,is one of the youth receiving the training,he expressed satisfaction.
Meanwhile the assistant director African Climate reporters ,DR piman Hoffman, has applauded the effort of the NGO and the international waste plastic trainer from Cameroon for coming to Nigeria to trained youth on the new technology for recycling waste plastic to interlocking-tilles.
Hoffman says, Recycling is important in today’s world if we want to leave this planet for our future generations. It is good for the environment, since we are making new products from the old products which are of no use to us. Recycling begins at home.
Recycling your waste makes you more responsible in the way you use and dispose of it. It is evident from studies that people who do this instinctively cut down on buying unwanted things from the supermarket.
He concluded by saying, When we recycle, recyclable materials are reprocessed into new products, and as a result the amount of rubbish sent for incineration reduces.
He then called on Government, NGOs and CSO to always support the spread of New initiatives like this one.
