The foundation also gave reusable bottles and plastics to over 500 market traders as an alternative to single-use plastics and styrofoam.
In January, the state government announced its decision to ban the use and distribution of styrofoam and other single-use plastics across the state.
The decision was reached following the menace that single-use plastics, especially non-biodegradable styrofoam, were causing in the environment.
The Executive Secretary of HEDA Resource Centre, Sulaimon Arigbabu, who led the campaign to the markets, said all hands must be on deck to fight the menace of styrofoam and its negative impact on the environment.
He explained that the campaign is part of the activities to commemorate the HEDA Resource Centre’s 20th anniversary.
He stressed the importance of people having a culture of promoting alternatives like reusable water cans and plastics.
He stated, “So, let’s have a behavioural change. Let’s have a culture of letting young people market, women, transporters, and different kinds of people know that plastic is an avenue to making money.
“We are not saying don’t use plastic for now. If you must use plastic instead of styrofoam, you something that can be used, washed, reused, and even changed for other uses.
“We are giving out over 500 water bottles with food. The food is in celebration of our anniversary. But the brain behind this is actually that you can use things and wash them and reuse them.
“That is our culture, we don’t have a culture of waste. We don’t have a culture of using things and just throwing it away. Our culture is to use something, keep it, clean it for another time, and use something in a community knowing that another person will use it. So you use it very well.
“Then once they introduce all this plastic, all this styrofoam, we became irresponsible. Nobody’s taking responsibility for anything. Even children now don’t know how to wash plates because we are bringing them up under a culture of styrofoam. Just use it and throw it away.
“Today (Thursday) in Ikeja where we are, there was flooding and the rain has not yet come. This one is us testing the mic.
“The real rain has not come and Ikeja is flooded, Surulere flooded. And then we went round after the flood subsided and we saw the reason for the flooding. It’s not because the earth can no longer take the rain, it is because of plastic, styrofoam, and different kinds of plastic destroying our environment, blocking our drainages, and making our lives difficult.
“Our markets are flooding, our homes are flooding, our roads are flooding, even our schools are flooding, endangering our children, endangering us too. So, we must say no to single-use plastic.”
Reacting, the Market Head of Ipodo Obada Market in Ikeja, Mrs Abiodun Apena, commended the HEDA Resource Centre for their efforts in sensitising the community about the harmful effects of using styrofoam and single-use plastics.
Regarding compliance with the ban on styrofoam and single-use plastics, the Apena stated that the market committee is actively enforcing the ban.
She highlighted the cooperation of the market vendors in adhering to the ban and expressed optimism that the demonstrations organised by HEDA would further enhance their understanding and compliance.
