Favour Udeh
The Lagos State government has indicated interest in partnering with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) on the eradication of used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles that have been blocking drainages and canals in the state.
The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, disclosed this through the Assistant Director of Environmental Services, Mrs. Tolulope Adeyo in an interview in Lagos recently.
Adeyo said the issue of waste has been of great concern and that any initiative to eradicate it, like FBRA’s waste collection and recycling scheme, is quite appreciated.
Adeyo said the government has created an enabling system for organisations working through a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) like FBRA, to thrive in order to attain a common goal of keeping the environment clean.
She stated that the Ministry is very much concerned about the sustainability of the environment and has therefore urged citizens in the state to join hands in the cleaning and proper disposal of waste, especially PET bottles to avoid environmental and health hazards associated with it.
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“We have lots of materials that we use daily that gets into our waste stream due to industrialisation and commercialisation. And because of the poor attitude of companies, wastes are being disposed indiscriminately, particularly plastics and PET bottles. Considering the havoc this cause during the rainy season in several parts of the state, the government has made giant strides in combating waste and is very much eager to collaborate with private sector in ensuring a cleaner and healthy environment,” she affirmed.
Adeyo commended FBRA, which is the PRO of companies in the food and beverage sector, for its laudable role in ensuring that used PET bottles are mopped up through its partner, Recycle Points.
With Recycle Points as collection partner, FBRA has made preparations towards cleaning of 500 tonnes of PET bottles monthly for one year for the purpose of recycling.
This figure, which will further increase to 3,000 tonnes monthly after the first phase in 2019, will see Recycle Points using its numerous collection points as hubs for agents within the value chain to deposit PET bottles to be recycled at Lafarge plants shredding facilities across the country based on FBRA’s agreement.
On the eve of the World Cleanup Day on September 15, volunteer staff of FBRA member-firms led traders and other users of Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos in collecting waste from used PET bottles towards a cleaner and healthier trading environment.
The initiative, which received the collaboration of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, was organised in collaboration with Recycle Points.
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The chairman of FBRA, Mrs. Folasade Morgan, said the campaign was used to enlighten traders, shoppers, as well as members of Nurses of-air Foundation on crucial issues relating to proper disposal and separation of waste, recycling, healthy lifestyle and other measures aimed at curbing environmental pollution.
The Alliance has been adhering to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy of government, which transfers significant responsibility to producers for the entire life-cycle of their products especially at the post-consumer stages.
It has membership drawn from responsible and forward-thinking companies. These are: Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, The Coca-Cola Company Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited and Nestle Nigeria Plc.
Given its advocacy, it has received commendation from NESREA, the regulator of the environment, for its significant progress towards EPR compliance.