APM Terminals Apapa paves school with recycled tyres

APM Terminals Apapa, Nigeria’s largest container terminal by volume, has taken its ‘2023 Go Green’ campaign to schools, creating environmental awareness by paving the playground of the Army Children Primary School, Apapa, Lagos, with pavement blocks produced from recycled tyres.

The annual ‘Go Green Campaign’ is an initiative of APM Terminals aimed at promoting environmental sustainability in its facilities worldwide. The theme of the campaign this year is ‘Healthy Ecosystem and Beating Plastic Pollution’.

In addition, the staff of the terminal operator also planted trees in the school.

“At APM Terminals Apapa, we take our responsibility towards the environment, the community and our children very seriously. We contribute to a sustainable future for all every year through the Go Green campaign. We are always happy to give back to society,” said Steen Knudsen, terminal manager of APM Terminals Apapa.

He said in addition to beautifying the environment, trees help combat global warming, as they absorb carbon dioxide, removing and storing the carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air.

The pavement blocks, according to Knudsen, were made out of APM Terminals Apapa’s used tyres by a Nigerian firm named FREEE Recycle Limited.

APM Terminals Apapa recently partnered with FREE Recycle Limited in an effort to grow its recycling of used tyres, to avoid these ending in landfills or as a medium for trapped water and associated insect-borne diseases.

The newly paved school playground was commissioned by the members of the terminal management team led by Chinyere Adenaike, procurement manager of APM Terminals Apapa.

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Expressing delight at the participation of the school children in the tree planting exercise, Adenaike said the company is committed to sustainability and the protection of the environment.

“Addressing the impacts of plastic pollution requires improved waste management practices, effective plastic recycling systems, public awareness campaigns and policy interventions,” she said.

Ifedolapo Runsewe, managing director of FREE Recycle Limited, commended APM Terminals Apapa for taking the lead in reducing solid waste in the country.

She said Army Children Primary School, Ashanti Barracks, Apapa is one of the 10 schools selected for the paving of their playgrounds with the recycled blocks, adding that the blocks are safe for children to play on.

Dorothy Okafor Ucheta, head teacher of the school, and Fausat Olawepo, education secretary of Apapa Local Government, represented by Abosede Olanrewaju, both expressed gratitude to APM Terminals for paving the school playground and inculcating a helpful lesson in the pupils – that they can turn waste to wealth.

APM Terminals Apapa has remained committed to the Go Green Campaign since it was launched eight years ago, with its staff carrying out various activities including tree planting, removal of plastic wastes, clearing of refuse on port access roads and donation of waste bins.