Smart Gas Promotes Trash For Gas Campaign In Lagos Community, By Cleopatra Eki √√ The Scoper Media

 

     Smart Gas launches
Trash for Gas campaign in community to promote environmental cleanliness and sustainable society. Dr Yinka Opeke Chief Executive Officer Smart Gas speaking to community Bales, chiefs leaders,,market leaders, women, families and youth in Odiolowo/Ojuwoye LCDA community Mushin Lagos.
She disclosed that it is an advocacy Programme. “This Trash for Gas campaign further reinforces our ESG focus as a company and the practical steps we are taking to support our operations.

No fewer than 650 families have benefited from this community project.

“Our hope is that this event serves as a wake-up call to all of us to see the damage we are exposing ourselves to by littering our environment with trash and usage of firewood and charcoal. We know some of us think the government has the sole responsibility of ensuring we live in a clean environment but our environment is our collective responsibility and we must be intentional about how we take care of it because when we do, we are the first beneficiaries of a safer and healthier community”-she added
“We are here to achieve two main objectives:

Firstly to promote the use of cooking gas as a safer alternative to kerosene, firewood and charcoal. Secondly, to educate them on the importance of a cleaner and healthier environment for them and their loved ones.
Opeke observed that the use of firewood and charcoal for cooking not only impacts our environment negatively due to emissions but also our health because of the smoke we inhale, and the most affected are women and children.

According to her, Smart Gas is in the business of selling cooking gas, gas cylinders of various sizes, conversion of fuel generators to gas generators amongst other services.
She disclosed that Smart Gas foundation has done several community projects in her 3 years existence, ,”Today we launch our first trash for gas campaign addresses these challenges by exchanging peoples’ trash for our cylinder and gas thereby leaving them with a cleaner and healthier neighborhood.

They were given tools, hand gloves, nylons to get and separate the recycling materials in exchange for a 3kg filled gas cylinder each.They cleaned the environment and others went in search for plastics, pure water, food take away packs, sahets, containers, empty can drinks affecting the gutters.

Dr. Yinka Opeke said as a nation, we face different environmental challenges that constantly threaten our living conditions or livelihood as a people. In Lagos State for example, we have felt the devastating impact of flooding in the rainy season. While there are other factors responsible for this, a contributing factor is blockage of drainage systems, caused by the indiscriminate dumping of trash within our communities.
She pointed out these cylinders are expensive to purchase and the only way they can show our partners that their appreciate their donations is by using it so that the families are encouraged to do more, and those of them who will not receive today may have the opportunity another time.

Opeke charged and encouraged participants who received these cylinders and gas today to choose gas over firewood, charcoal or kerosene because it is a cleaner alternative for them and the environment.

According to her,”When it is raining outside, they can use your gas inside, it doesn’t make their pots black, or emit smoke that makes them cough, they don’t have to fan it or sit by it to monitor the flame, all they need to do is turn it on and off. Don’t give it away or try to sell it and we believe that the more they use it, the more they will enjoy the benefits.

“Regarding the trash we litter around our environment, they breed germs leading to infections and health related challenges for them and their loved ones, they also damage the soil, the environment and the overall air quality they breathe. Prevention is better than cure”.
Director, Monitoring Compliance and Enforcement, LASEPA, Mr Kayode Bello said the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency is concerned about managing, monitoring and delivery a cleaner, sanier and sustainable environment.He added that to reduce climate and global warming in Nigeria, it requires a collective effort by all of us, management of our waste, to reduce heavy use of waste products According to him, we also partner and collaborate with stakeholders to promote waste to wealth, to sort recycling products, make the jobs easy for others in value chains of production.

Hon. Rasaq Olusola Ajala Chairman Odiolowo/Ojuwoye LCDA appreciated the organizers, partners for the promoting and supporting laudable cleaning environmental project. He said the community will continue to substain the massive environmental cleaning project.