Chemical Education: A Tool for Wealth Creation from Waste Management

Abstract

This paper focuses on exposing the indispensible role of chemical education in wealth creation from waste. Every settlement of people has one type of waste or the other to dispose. The challenge of waste management has in recent time occupied researchers such that innovations are geared towards reducing wastes that are generated and converting already generated wastes into useful products. Diversity of people and waste generated are two reasons why no single approach to waste management has been accepted as the best method. The need for chemical education is not only paramount but critical since every human activity leads to the generation of one type of waste or another. Chemical education exposes one to the knowledge of chemical composition of waste matter which will help in their recovery and re-use thus providing opportunity for economic empowerment. Recommendations were made that the techniques of waste processing and management be integrated in the curricula of basic sciences and chemistry. Also financial assistance should be given by financial institutions to chemistry graduates who are willing to apply knowledge gained into converting wastes generated from  our environment into useful products that are of economic benefit.

Keywords: Chemical education, waste management, wealth creation.