Anambra Government to Host Plastic Recovery Challenge, Offers One Million Naira Prize to Winner

Anambra State government in collaboration with Anambra State Waste Recyclers Association (ASWRA) have set a one million naira prize money for winners of the All Anambra Plastic Waste Recovery Challenge which has been scheduled to kick off on June 8, 2023.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Engineer Felix Odimegwu who announced plans for the challenge in Awka, said that it is part of arrangements to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day.

The commissioner said that the challenge, which has been fixed to begin from June 8 to July 7, 2023, is a holistic action to the solution to plastic pollution as the state moves with a clear vision towards a circular economy where plastics stay in use for as long as possible.

Engineer Odimegwu also announced that the plastic recovery challenge would be carried out at community levels, with the 179 communities in the 21 local government areas of Anambra State competing against one another.

He noted that to ensure even spread of the opportunity for participating communities, the 179 towns have been separated into three categories — urban, semi-urban and rural — with winner from each category going home with the sum of one million naira each.

Explaining further, the commissioner explained that each of the 179 communities will have one month to pick up plastic waste around their areas, with the community that has collected the largest amount of plastics going home with the prize money.

Engineer Odimegwu who noted that plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental problems in the world, said that the theme of the 2023 World Environment Day which focuses on the solution to plastic pollution globally, raises awareness on what everyone must do to mitigate the problem.

He concluded that to achieve a plastic-free Anambra State, all residents must practice the five-Rs in waste management and principles of circular economy which are: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle, stating the overall aim of the challenge is go get rid of 10,