Throwing plastics into the trash instead of the recycling bin is common practice - most of us have seen this before and some of us are even guilty of it.  However, recycling plastics and reducing waste is vital to our environment. The Net Impact Federal University of Technology, Owerri Chapter (FUTO) demonstrates the importance of recycling through multiple campus initiatives.

The results of a case study conducted by the FUTO Chapter found that plastics contributed to a startlingly high amount of campus waste. As most plastics are not biodegradable, the FUTO Chapter knew that they needed to be proactive in combating environmental pollution in the form of excess plastic waste on campus. Deborah Eyo, President of the FUTO Chapter, found that participating in the Net Impact Drawdown Act Program was extremely instrumental in spearheading a recycling initiative on campus. 

Brainstorming sessions commenced and creative solutions were formed to discover the best strategies to promote recycling on campus. They discovered that designating their Chapter as an on-campus recycling center was an effective and convenient way to get students to recycle their plastics. To further entice students to recycle, a points system was developed in which students would receive tokens for recycling plastics. Eyo explains that, “as a continuation to the recycling challenge, Net Impact FUTO will also be working with the Cleaner Futo Initiative (CFI) Group on the FUTO campus to clean up the convocation ground. We will be working with a recycling company to trade in the plastic waste gathered. The event will also serve as a campaign against pollution”.

If you think that plastic bottles can only be recycled into other plastic items, then the FUTO Chapter is here to prove you wrong! Another creative and innovative way the FUTO Chapter recycles plastic is by turning it into art. The FUTO Chapter hosts ongoing workshops dubbed Creative Grand Art, which encourages students to think innovatively through the medium of art. Through this program, “a challenge was set up between an instructor and a participant [that resulted in a] gorgeous mosaic depicting the love and oneness of Nigeria,” said Eyo. The workshops demonstrate how eco-friendly household materials can be transformed into artistic masterpieces. 

Thanks to the strong initiatives of the FUTO Chapter, you will now find recycling bins specific for plastic waste on every corner of the FUTO campus. For more information on the Net Impact FUTO Chapter, check out their profile page here.