Recycling critical to environmental preservation, jobs – FBRA

The Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has emphasised waste recycling, especially those of food and beverage packaging, as vital in environmental preservation.

According to FBRA, the value chain in the recycling process leads to job and wealth creation.

FBRA Vice Chairman, Adekunle Olusuyi, who spoke at the 12th National Stakeholders’ Forum of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in Abuja, said 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 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 have been well tailored in achieving tangible results along with our partners,” he stated.

L-R: Sade Morgan, Chairman Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), Dr. Lawrence Anukam, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA); Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Technical Lead, FBRA; Adekunle Olusuyi, Vice Chairman, FBRA at the opening ceremony of the two-day NESREA 12th National Stakeholders’ Forum held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, on December 11, 2018.

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 critical factors 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, strengthens 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.

According to Olusuyi, a recent survey indicated that the volume of post-consumer PET waste is over 800,000 tonnes, thus requiring participation of all stakeholders at the various stages to drive a robust circular economy.

“The various roles in waste management start from waste separation, collection, 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 to protect the environment and help make the world packaging problem a thing of the past.

FBRA is a self-regulatory initiative founded in 2013 by a group of responsible and forward-thinking companies for the recycling of used PET bottles into synthetic fibre. The companies include some of the largest multinationals in the beverage industry like the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, The Coca-Cola Company Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc and Nestle Nigeria Plc.

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