By George Idowu
Plastic pollution has continued to pose serious threat to the environment, biodiversity and human lives, especially in countries like Nigeria where environmental laws are not strictly adhered to both by users and producers.
Sicknesses and conditions such as cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive, have all been linked to plastic pollution in Nigeria.
There has been unabated plastic pollution in Nigeria because residents use several billion items such as bags, bottles, trays, and food packaging every year. Our supermarkets are full of it. Some people are careless with packaging and leave it behind as litter.
Nigeria is estimated to generate about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually and the situation is likely to worsen as the population grows from more than 220 million people now to an expected 401 million by the end of 2050.
According to market reports, plastic production in Nigeria has also grown rapidly at a rate of 13.9 percent annually, from 120 kt in 2007 to a projected 513 kt in 2020. Plastics are inexpensive and durable, making them very adaptable for different uses; as a result, manufacturers choose to use plastic over other materials.
When plastic objects and particles such as plastic bottles, bags and microbeads accumulate in the earth’s environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. Overall, 80% of marine plastic debris comes from land, and 20% is produced by ocean-based sources such as fishing, shipping and aquaculture.
Nigeria’s waste collection system is still ineffecive, especially in cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and several others, where plastic waste is produced on daily basis. The challenge is not just about single-use plastics. Often, people do not realize that they pollute the environment when they discard their plastics indiscriminately.
As of today, majority of the used plastics across households in Nigeria end up on landfill sites and drainages, clogging the free flow of water and from there they are eventually swept into the sea thereby polluting the sea water.
Finings reveal that not all used plastics can be recycled.
Mr. Ojo Adegbola, a small scale plastic recycler in Lagos said that an uncontaminted mono-material is easily recycled, while the rest is likely to be incinerted or downcycled.
”That is the hidden truth from the public who diligently submit their used plastics to collectors. There is category of soft used plastics which people can scrunch in their hand but not all these used plastics are easily recyclable as people are made to believe.
”When it comes to collection of used plastics from households for recycling, collectors and the recyclers are yet to comply with the fact that there should be sorting of the used plastics to separate those that could be recycle easily from those that cannot.
”Also, consumers too need to understand the economic of recycling used plastics. Recycling does not end with the collectors coming to pick the used plastics in people’s houses. It is far beyond that. As the collectors leave the compound of the user, proper recyling of used plastics is frustratingly challenging, Adegbola emphasized, adding that the significant cost of collection, transportation and processing used plastic is a big challenge..
Despite the availability of some laws and regulations, lack of public awareness, coupled with an underdeveloped waste management system, disposal and recycling infrastructure, including underskilled workforce employed for waste collection have excerbated plastic pollution in the country.
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Countries like Japan and Germany that have adopted EPR policies have experienced significant reductions in waste and improvements in recycling rates, findings revealed.
The federal government, through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), had rolled out the National Environmental (Electrical/Electronic Sector) Regulation, S.I No 23 of 2011.
The regulation introduces a pioneering approach to managing waste, particularly e-waste through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
This policy places responsibility for waste management on producers of plastics, rather than consumers and local governments. This policy not only incentivizes companies to create environmentally friendly products but also ensures that they are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products.
The EPR mandates that producers, including importers, manufacturers, assemblers, and major distributors, take responsibility for their products even at the end of their life cycle. By incorporating this life-cycle approach, Nigeria aims to align with the principles of the circular economy, which seeks to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency.
In 2014, NESREA developed operational guidelines for the implementation of the EPR programme across all sectors of the economy.
As provided by the EPR, “All companies with products consumed in Nigeria are required to comply with the EPR programme, as outlined in the National Environmental (Electrical/Electronic Sector) Regulations 2011.
“Producers, including brand owners, manufacturers, importers, and distributors, must register with a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to comply with the EPR policy.
“The EPR programme works with producers and collection centres to establish a network for buyback, recovery, and recycling of waste. Collection centres are tasked with temporarily storing waste before it is responsibly recycled. NESREA also provides a record of accredited recyclers and authorized treatment facilities to ensure safe and efficient disposal.”
The EPR programme represents a major step forward in Nigeria’s environmental management strategy. By placing the onus of waste management on producers and fostering collaboration between key stakeholders, the government hopes to reduce the harmful impacts of waste while promoting sustainable economic opportunities through recycling and recovery.
Regrettably, these have not been the case with most of the manufacturers of waste products in Nigeria.
However, it was gathered that the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) in Nigeria is actively working to ensure compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws through several key initiatives. As the designated Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for the sector, FBRA focuses on enabling the collection, recovery, and recycling of post-consumer packaging waste.
According to information obtained from its website, FBRA fosters collaboration among its member companies, including major industry players like Coca-Cola, Nigerian Breweries, and Nestlé. This collaborative approach helps pool resources to implement large-scale waste management systems, such as buy-back schemes and community recycling education programs. These initiatives aim to build a circular economy by turning waste into valuable materials, stimulating job creation and innovation in the recycling industry.
FBRA also engages in public awareness campaigns to encourage proper waste disposal practices among consumers and partners with stakeholders across sectors to develop robust recycling infrastructure. It regularly participates in conferences and events to promote EPR compliance and environmental sustainability efforts, such as the annual World Environment Day celebrations and sector-specific initiatives led by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
FBRA’s compliance strategy hinges on coordinated sectoral efforts, awareness campaigns, and partnerships to promote sustainable waste management in alignment with national EPR policies.
