The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has endorsed a project targeting the recovery of 100 million used water sachets to tackle plastic pollution and improve environmental sanitation in Rivers State.
The initiative, known as the 100 Million Single-Use Water Sachets Recovery Project, also called Waste to Wealth, is being implemented in partnership with Health, Environment and You (HEY) to promote the collection of discarded water sachets from their sources and public spaces.
The Managing Director of RIWAMA, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, endorsed the initiative as part of efforts to restore Port Harcourt’s Garden City status.
The project has also received support from the immediate past Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adaeze C. Oreh, the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and other stakeholders.
Speaking at an event organised by the Rivers State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), RIWAMA’s Head of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Harry S. Henry, called for greater collaboration among the media, private sector and relevant institutions to ensure the success of the initiative.
Henry described environmental protection as a collective responsibility and urged stakeholders to contribute to efforts to address plastic waste.
“This project is our collective responsibility, everyone to contribute their quota to save our environment. The project needs more collaboration — the media, private sector and Institutions,” he said.
He added that Wokoma, a Fellow of NIPR, had given his full support to the project as part of efforts to restore Port Harcourt’s Garden City status.
At the event, Henry displayed a customised throw pillow made from 4,000 used water sachets to demonstrate how discarded plastic materials could be repurposed into useful items.
The initiative aims to reduce the volume of plastic waste discarded in public spaces and drainage channels, where accumulated refuse can obstruct water flow and contribute to flooding.
Oreh was also present at the event, where she held the endorsement board for the Clean Rivers Initiative alongside NIPR Rivers State Chapter Chairman, Rev. Francis Asuk; Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Prof. Barigbon Nsereka; and the chapter’s Vice Chairman, Dr. Parry Saroh Benson.
