ABOUT 7,000 children participated in the ongoing 'Waste for Food' initative organised by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), in collaboration with `Tastee Fried Chicken' (TFC), an eatery.

LAWMA's spokesperson, Mrs Folashade Kadiri, said in Lagos on Monday, that the initiative was designed to   introduce children during the holiday period to picking up `PET' bottles for recycling, in exchange for a voucher valid for a food pack from TFC.

`PET' bottles are empty plastic water and soft drinks bottles.

Kadiri said that the involvement of children was also aimed at creating awareness and teaching them the importance of recycling items considered as waste, to generate wealth and to produce useful items such as waste bin bags.

She said that every participating child  was expected to drop five kg of used `PET' bottles for a food voucher at any of the designated centres of the eatery.

She disclosed that between 250 vouchers and 300 vouchers were distributed daily to the childern who turned in `PET' bottles.

The spokesperson said that the children had so far collected about 25,000 kgs `PET' bottles at the Olusosun landfill site.

`` We are happy about the turnout of the children and their interest in contributing to the cleanliness of Lagos State.

``It shows that they are aware of the importance of the recyclining of items considered as waste; its all to keep them busy during this holiday and impart in them the knowledge about their environment and its safety.’’

It was reported that the `Waste for Food’ campaign started on Aug. 18, with the aim to integrate children and corporate organisations into the recycling process, as part of their corporate social responsibility.