By Abdullahi Lukman
As Nigeria grapples with rising waste generation driven by rapid population growth, industry-led collaboration through the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) is emerging as a key response to the country’s mounting environmental challenge.
Nigeria generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, according to the World Bank, placing increasing pressure on governments and private stakeholders to adopt sustainable waste management systems.
One of the most significant policy responses has been the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework introduced in 2014 by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
The policy led to the establishment of FBRA in 2018 as Nigeria’s first Producer Responsibility Organisation for the food and beverage sector.
From four founding members, the Alliance has grown to 42 member companies by 2025, collectively recovering more than 100,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste and promoting circular management of post-consumer packaging.
Nestlé Nigeria, a founding member of FBRA, has played a leading role in advancing waste recovery and packaging innovation.
The company achieved 100 per cent plastic neutrality in December 2023, recovering an amount of plastic equivalent to what it introduced into the market.
Nestlé also became the first company in Nigeria to use bottles containing 50 per cent recycled PET for its Nestlé Pure Life water brand, in compliance with national food-grade standards.
According to Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead at Nestlé Nigeria, the Alliance’s impact is evident in cleaner communities and improved livelihoods for waste collectors, particularly in Lagos State.
She noted that while producers compete commercially, they collaborate under FBRA to meet shared environmental responsibilities.
Through FBRA’s framework, producers, recyclers, collectors and regulators are working together to retrieve, recycle and reintegrate plastic waste into production cycles, turning waste into economic value and jobs.
The FBRA–Nestlé partnership highlights how coordinated private-sector action can support Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy, reduce environmental pollution and contribute to broader sustainability goals.
