Photograph — Wikipedia

To commemorate Earth Day this year, ‘operation recycling unwanted waste’ will be in effect throughout Lagos, in line with the initiative of Uber and WeCyclers to promote a clean and healthy environment. The exercise will take place between 8am and 1pm today, April 21. This Lagos edition of #UberRECYCLE is encouraging the act of recycling which is steadily gaining eminence in the state – thanks to WeCyclers – by providing free rides to people’s homes to collect their waste for free within the stated time frame.

An ‘UberRECYCLE’ option will temporarily be available in the Uber application on mobile phones (and completely not tied to the regular ‘uberX’ or ‘uberBlack’ cabs) for interested participants to request a ride to pick up their items. The accepted items on the recycle list are paper, metal, plastic, and glass, while those not accepted include, juice/milk cartons and other paper products, electronics, diapers, batteries and clothes hangers.

This collaboration between Uber and WeCyclers creates very needed awareness around recycling waste, climate change, and other pertinent environmental issues as well as providing people with a strong platform for advocacy on these issues. A cause which WeCyclers is already advancing through its social and environmental innovation.

Lagos reportedly generates up to 12,000 metric tonnes of waste every day, based on its population combined with urban pollution. Broken down, 12,000 tonnes of waste would fit in 1,200 garbage trucks. Therefore, the commercial city of Nigeria is prone to various health hazards posed by the generated waste, and waste dumping, collection, and management remains a problem that the Lagos State Government is saddled with.

WeCyclers social initiative offers recycling services to homes and communities in Lagos in order to inform and educate Lagosians on how waste pollution negatively impacts their health and the environment. The initiative also aims to give those in low-income areas, the opportunity to create value from their waste by rewarding them with points for every collection. The points are then exchanged for prizes.

With #UberRECYCLE, Uber is proving to its customers in Lagos, Nigeria and other parts of the world that it truly cares about them and the planet. And what better way to celebrate Earth Day?

#UberRECYCLE launched in Beirut, Lebanon last year. The event is also taking place in the United Arab Emirates today and in Kenya tomorrow.

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