The Food and Beverage Recycling
Alliance (FBRA) has emphasised that recycling of waste, especially those of
food and beverage packaging is vital in environmental preservation as the value
chain in the recycling process leads to job and wealth creation.
According to FBRA Vice Chairman,
Adekunle Olusuyi, who spoke at the two-day 12th National
Stakeholders’ Forum of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations
Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in Abuja on Thursday, the Alliance has been
intensifying awareness on separation of waste and environmental pollution,
especially on post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles which
can further be recycled to other useful products.
Olusuyi, who attended the forum
with other FBRA members, explained that FBRA participation in the summit was in
line with the Alliance's commitment to the Extended Producer Responsibility
(EPR) policy of government, to help build a sustainable healthy environment
that leads to business growth.
“We are looking at the entire
packaging lifecycle – from how bottles and cans are designed and made, to how
they are recycled and repurposed. We
want to reduce the waste we generate as much as possible, encourage recycling,
and our initiatives in this regard has been well tailored in achieving tangible
results along with our partners,” he stated.
The stakeholders’ forum, which
had the theme, Circular Economy and Environmental Governance, provided a
platform for an in-depth discussion and array of issues focusing on Circular
Economy and Environmental Governance, as well as critical factor in attaining
sustainable development in the national development plan.
It also enabled stakeholders
highlight waste-to-wealth initiatives, review progress in the implementation of
the EPR programme, strengthen policies and regulations to enable the recycling
of food grade packaging waste materials by establishing a national standards for
recycled PET and determine how Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO) can
support in waste management for a
healthy environment, recycling roles, among others.
The FBRA vice chairman avowed
that in a circular economy, proper waste management which involves different
stages leads to job and wealth creation along the value chain.
According to Olusuyi, recent
survey indicates that the volume of post-consumer PET waste is over
800,000 tonnes which requires participation of all stakeholders at the
different stages to drive a robust circular economy.
“The various roles in waste
management starts from waste separation, collection which our partner,
RecyclePoints takes care of, to separation, transportation, shredding at the
recycling plants, production of other products and re-use. At these stages,
different jobs are created, whether directly or indirectly,” Olusuyi explained.
He therefore urged other
companies in the food and beverage sector, to be part of the Alliance which has
sworn in its resolve to protect the environment and help make the world
packaging problem a thing of the past.
In moving towards a circular
economy, the Technical Lead, FBRA, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, who represented the
Chairman, Sade Morgan pointed out that the Alliance, as a PRO, will help
improve recycling rates and apply the global marketing muscle of its members to
help educate the public on what, how and where to recycle their food and
beverage packaging waste.
The Alliance will continue to
partner with local communities, non-government organisations (NGOs), industry
peers and consumers to help make recycling easier and more accessible for
everyone by improving collection systems, local recycling systems and driving
policy change that supports a truly circular economy.
“As part of FBRA ambitious goal
towards a cleaner environment, it has concluded plans to clean up the waterways
in collaboration with its partner, RecyclePoints and the Ministries of
Transportation as well as Environment in Lagos state, she said.
Onyemelukwe added that with an
estimated annual growth rate of 2.6 percent in Nigeria, there is increase in
the level of consumption which has translated to rise in the volume of waste
generation that needs to be well tackled; hence FBRA has been embarking on various
initiatives towards a cleaner environment.
Recently, the Alliance received
accolades from the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of the
Environment during a clean-up exercise at the Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos, in
commemoration of this year’s World Cleanup Day.
Founded in 2013, FBRA consist of
responsible forward-thinking companies with a shared concern for the environment which includes; Nigerian Bottling
Company Limited/ Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited; Nigerian Breweries Plc; Seven-Up
Bottling Company Limited; Nestle Nigeria Plc and Guinness Nigeria Plc.
From
Right: Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Technical Lead; Adekunle Olusuyi, Vice Chairman; Sade
Morgan, Chairman and Tokunbo Ibrahim, Technical Member; all of the Food and
Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) at the opening ceremony of the two-day
NESREA 12th National Stakeholders’ Forum held at the Nicon Luxury
Hotel, Abuja.
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