In a move to inspire a more responsible citizenry on sustainability practices, OMO, Africa’s biggest laundry brand, has launched an educational campaign across schools to engage and educate children on plastic recycling through its Dirt For Good campaign, a holistic approach towards reducing waste, promoting sustainability and creating better communities.
Dirt for Good is a 3-week programme focused on making children and youths a part of the solution towards addressing plastic waste and littering by sensitizing and encouraging the collection and recycling of plastic waste, and proper waste disposal practices with thirty schools to be engaged through this initiative across Lagos.
Speaking at an event in Karis Schools, a private educational institution in Magodo Phase 2, the Brand Manager, OMO, Chinonyerem Opara, emphasized the need to take urgent action on sustainability and climate change, stating that Nigerian children are the changemaker generation that can impact the future of their environment.
“Global studies have consistently shown the negative impacts of plastic waste on the environment”, said Chinonyerem Opara, Brand Manager, OMO. “For example, it can cause intestinal damage when ingested by fishes and turtles. These plastic bags, bottles and other objects flow into canals and water reservoirs and end up partially or completely clogging them. With the huge surge we are currently experiencing, addressing plastic waste and recycling is no longer a local issue, but a global concern for everyone”.
“The low level of recycling in Nigeria, which is less than 12%, and inadequate waste collection are a huge threat to plastic pollution management”, said Yemisi Lawal, Chief Operating Officer, Wecyclers. “An estimated 367 million tonnes of plastic were produced in 2020 alone – about 12 tonnes (12,000kg) of plastic waste produced every second that year. If we are to find a listing solution to waste pollution, it begins by influencing change across all communities, even with students”.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nigeria generates about 32 million tonnes of waste per year, among the highest in Africa. Of the waste generated yearly, 2.5 million tonnes is plastic waste, most of which (70 percent) ends up in landfills, sewers, beaches and water bodies.
The Dirt For Good Campaign is lending a voice to the global concern on plastics and wastes in line with the brand purpose which is to ‘Power up the world’s changemakers to get Dirty For Good’ and encourage the young people to take action on these issues to make a change for the future.
Photo 1 Caption:
L-R: School Administrator, Karis School, Ugoh Chukwudi; Admin Officer, Food and Beverage Recycling Alliances, Yejide Abiferin; Head, Communication and Sustainable Business, Unilever Nigeria, Godfrey Adejumoh; Chief Operation Officer, Wecyclers Nigeria Limited, Oluwayemisi Lawal and Brand Manager OMO, Unilever Nigeria PLC, Chinonyerem Opara, at the OMO Plastic Program activation in Lagos to educate students on waste management.
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About OMO
OMO is Unilever’s largest detergent brand with a dominant presence in several countries, including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, India, and Thailand. The brand operates with a central belief that taking action alongside others has a positive impact on young people’s wellbeing, their communities, and the planet. Hence, they are constantly empowering and supporting people to roll up their sleeves and take action on what matters to them, no matter how messy.
A sustainability-driven brand, each new and improved version of OMO is engineered to be tougher on stains, but kinder to the planet.