| The question that frequently comes to my mind | | | | segregation is carried out at homes during the |
| is that how far can a newly established recycling | | | | storage processes and the sorted wastes are |
| project be sustained in Nigeria? First and | | | | collected directly from households. In another |
| foremost, the success of solid wastes | | | | situation, mixed wastes are collected from |
| management through their recycling into useful | | | | households and transferred into a designated |
| products and, in fact, any waste management | | | | sorting centre where people are employed to |
| strategy depends on how well the mixed solid | | | | carryout the separation. The sorted recyclable |
| wastes are separated into different components. | | | | components are then transferred into recycling |
| In Nigeria, like other developing countries, waste | | | | facility for processing while the non-recyclables are |
| separation at home or point of generation is | | | | transferred into landfills. Anyhow, the first scheme |
| considered as a messy exercise. Almost | | | | is cheaper than the second. It is also possible for |
| everybody wants to move waste from his or her | | | | waste producers to bring recyclable wastes |
| sight as quick and as cheap as possible, | | | | directly to recycling facility without being charged |
| immediately after their generation. Meanwhile, | | | | for waste disposal service. In some cases, such |
| storing wastes together make recycling | | | | wastes are sold to the facility at a predetermined |
| operations a very tedious exercise. It reduces the | | | | cost. Independent buyers may be involved in both |
| productivity and increases cost of production at | | | | collection of waste and recovery of materials. |
| waste recycling plant. It also reduces the quality | | | | The buyers often pay the generators of |
| of recycled products. For instance, organic fraction | | | | materials, either in cash or by barter. The buyers |
| of mixed wastes stored together decomposes | | | | popularly called 'paaro' (means 'exchange' in |
| with foul odour that attracts flies and pests of | | | | Yoruba language) exchange plastic pails for fairly |
| economic importance. | | | | used cloth, jewelries and shoe materials. Waste |
| Apart from waste separation into major | | | | sorting can also be done by waste collection team |
| components like glass, rubber, paper etcetera at | | | | who quickly remove valuable materials from |
| points of generation, another challenge faced by | | | | waste stream on their way to land fill. This can |
| waste recyclers is the complex nature of some | | | | rather not be well controlled. |
| components like plastics, nylon and metal that | | | | Modes of waste collection and transportation also |
| involves post separation at site. Nylon and plastics | | | | have great impact on waste segregation and |
| in a waste stream are of different kinds, based | | | | recycling operation. Co-collection occurs when all |
| on their chemical make-up. They can be LDPE- | | | | separated fractions are collected from households |
| low density poly-ethelyne, HDPE- high density | | | | in the same vehicle. Segregated collection occurs |
| poly-ethelyne, PP raffia, PP stripe and so on. Just | | | | when different fractions are collected in different |
| like nylon and plastics, metal scraps also include | | | | vehicles. Co-collection can also be performed in |
| ferrous and non-ferrous metal that cannot be | | | | two ways. A multi-compartment vehicle can be |
| recycled together because of their different | | | | used to transport sorted wastes at the same |
| melting points. This secondary separation at waste | | | | time. Each component of separated wastes can |
| recycling site requires skill and time, making the | | | | also be bagged at household level and transported |
| recycling process labour intensive with attendant | | | | in the single compartment vehicle. The third |
| cost implication. Perhaps, poor separation of | | | | possibility is to use alternating schedules whereby |
| recyclable materials affects the quality of recycled | | | | one component of sorted wastes is collected |
| products and reduces their marketability. | | | | today and another component the following day. |
| Successful recycling requires that recyclables can | | | | It is not feasible to have one vehicle for one |
| compete well with virgin materials in quality as well | | | | waste component in Nigeria as well as many |
| as price. The price of refined or recycled materials | | | | developing countries because of their economic |
| is determined by the over all cost of collection | | | | situations. The third possibility is not cost-benefit |
| activities. The quality is influenced by the way | | | | either. |
| collection activities including sorting are performed. | | | | Finally, mixed waste collection directly from |
| However wastes are not normally collected in | | | | communities by Nigerian government is seen to |
| cost-effective and environmentally sound manner | | | | be very easier but this result into separation |
| in this country. Research has shown that waste | | | | complexity at recycling facilities. On the other |
| collection and segregation into different | | | | hand, transportation of sorted wastes from |
| components account for largest share of total | | | | households makes collection and transportation |
| costs of solid wastes recycling. The practice that | | | | complexity but ensures easier operation at |
| is common in the country up till now is that | | | | reduced costs at recycling facilities. It is right time |
| governments collect commingle wastes and | | | | determine the best segregation and transportation |
| dispose them at landfills that are not sanitary and | | | | scheme for the country. The methods that |
| properly underlined for leachate control. This | | | | favour waste recycling and material recovery |
| practice is neither sustainable nor environmental | | | | should be considered as permanent solution to |
| friendly. It does not give room for resource | | | | persistent waste management problems in the |
| conservation through waste recycling. In many | | | | country. The schemes whereby wastes are |
| cases, scavengers, poor and jobless people from | | | | segregated at household level; bagged and |
| low socio-economic stratum, parade such landfills | | | | transported in a single compartment vehicle need |
| to salvage recyclable materials like plastics, | | | | to be encouraged. Alternatively, Government |
| bobbles and metal scraps, at the extent of their | | | | should also consider intermediate sorting center |
| health and well being. | | | | where mixed wastes will be sorted before final |
| Recyclable fractions of mixed wastes can be | | | | transportation into recycling facilities. This offers a |
| segregated and transported into recycling centre | | | | big advantage in terms of income generation for |
| by different methods. Most of these methods are | | | | the jobless and teaming population of unemployed |
| not practicable and cost-effective in many | | | | youths. |
| countries of the world. In the first method, waste | | | | |