7th February, 2012
In order to maintain a cleaner and healthier environment, manufacturers of bottled water have urged consumers to always dispose their empty bottles properly after consuming the water in them.
This admonition was given by the Chairman, Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria, ATWP, Ayobo-Ipaja/Mosan-Okunola zone, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Ayoola Areola during the zone’s “Operation Keep Your Environment Clean,” held at the secretariat of Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area, LCDA.
Areola noted that consumers of packaged products were fond of disposing empty containers improperly. He explained that proper disposal of used bottles will go a long way in reducing the problem of flood which is caused by blocked drainages.
“We are concerned about the problem of flood in Lagos and we can’t just sit back and watch as if we are not concerned. If the environment is not conducive, we as manufacturers won’t be able to produce.
“This is the main reason why we organised this exercise. We want Lagosians to know the importance of proper disposal of their containers. If we can all adhere to this, we will all benefit from it,” he added.
He called on the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to set a surveillance team to look into the menace of fake bottled water manufacturers in the country.
Similarly, a consultant on water and food products, Adeyinka Odukoya who spoke at the event, urged consumers to always ensure the intake of waters that are 100 per cent safe.
According to him, “people are always ignorant of the kind of water they take, which is not proper. Some packaged waters after some months would have changed colour and will become slippery in the pack. Waters that are properly packaged and preserved are not good for the body, because it can lead to mental illness and cardiac arrest.
“People who are interested in going into the business of bottled and sachet water production must consult professionals and seek advice,” Odukoya added.
Highpoint of the event was the picking of empty water sachets and bottles, clearing of drainages within Mosan-Okunola LCDA down to Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA.
—Jamiu Yisa