Recycling from My Corner: Small Acts, Big Impact

One of the ways humans can have control of their environment is through recycling. Constantly, there are wastes gotten from our homes, and converting them into reusable materials is the best way to have a cleaner and safer environment.

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Reusing old materials to create a new one is not what everyone does; even though some recycling practices require creativity to some extent, there are also many ways we can support recycling even if you don't do it yourself. Take, for instance, in my locality, there are people that collect damaged products, used plastics, cans, even papers, and cartons. They pick these items on the road regularly for money, and they also go to people's houses seeking these kinds of reusable items to buy and then resell to recycling companies. Many people gather these kinds of products and sell them to make money too, while some people don't care but trash all kinds of waste inappropriately.

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Recently, Ibeju Lekki local government (a local government where we reside) was encouraging people to stop trashing waste inappropriately but sort it out differently and then keep it safe for them to come and pack and recycle the ones that can be recycled. The downside of this request is that they are not buying them for money but rather packing everything for free, and that's why most people don't care to bring out their time in sorting their garbage but rather pack all garbage and dump it out there for them to pack. Now, because the LAWMA drivers know the value they will get in selling those reusable items, they will visit to pack our refuse and then relax and start sorting them out themselves.

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Personally, while I don't really recycle ♻️ my used plastics and cans, I don't mix them up with other waste that can't be recycled. I sort them out myself at the point of trashing them. I have big bags where I throw in plastic cans and other damaged iron products, which I do sell to make money for myself, lolz. Also, I don't recycle more often, but I have once converted my husband's old jeans into a skirt. Food recycling too is what I do whenever needed instead of dumping it in the bin. These are the little things I do with recycling items from my end to contribute to the recycling practices.

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In my country, we are yet to have a reliable recycling system, so it makes it difficult for us to really key into these recycling exercises the way they are supposed to, except for the fact that some aboki collectors usually come to pick those items from us and resell them for recycling purposes.

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I am aware that some other developed countries have smart waste management systems that help them to maintain a better, cleaner environment, which is great. In my country recently, some private bodies are coming up with recycling practices, but it's not yet rampant enough to really make an impact. I believe that our government can also do something in this aspect if they are really intentional in maintaining a cleaner and safer environment. The public awareness campaign is good enough to get the masses educated on recycling and how it could help keep our environment clean, and then we would have a cleaner environment through the recycling project.

Overall, recycling is an important practice that ought to be taken seriously for a healthier planet.

This is my response to the #hivelearners community contest on the topic titled, Recycling Practices

Images were taken from canva