The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has backed a project aimed at collecting 100 million used water sachets to reduce plastic pollution and improve environmental sanitation across the 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).
RIWAMA Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, endorsed the project as part of efforts to restore Port Harcourt’s Garden City status.
Speaking at an event organised by the Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the agency’s Head of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Harry S. Henry, called for stronger cooperation among the media, private organisations and relevant institutions to achieve the project’s target.
Henry described environmental protection as a shared responsibility, urging individuals and organisations to support the collection and proper disposal of plastic waste.
He also noted that Wokoma had pledged his support for the initiative.
To demonstrate the benefits of recycling, Henry presented a customised throw pillow made from 4,000 used water sachets, showing how waste materials could be converted into useful products.
The project seeks to prevent discarded sachets from littering public spaces and blocking drainage channels, which can contribute to flooding.
The initiative has also received backing from the immediate past Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Professor Adaeze C. Oreh, the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme and other stakeholders.
Oreh attended the event alongside NIPR Rivers State Chapter Chairman, Reverend Francis Asuk; Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Professor Barigbon Nsereka; and the chapter’s Vice Chairman, Dr. Parry Saroh Benson, where they jointly supported the Clean Rivers Initiative.
