‘Public-private sector collaboration key to effective waste management’

Recycling Alliance partner govt to address pollution in Lagos

To ensure success of the cleaner Lagos initiative, the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has charged the private sector to push the needle on their sustainability practices and align with industry frameworks around waste management.

It stressed that producers, corporate users, and consumers, all play a pivotal role in shifting Nigeria’s recycling and waste management culture.

Speaking at the ‘Trash Talk’ summit in Lagos, FBRA Chairman, Ziad Maalouf, said public-private participation, alongside proper investment and policy incentives, were critical foundations in pushing adoption and compliance with recycling standards across the industry.

He stressed that partnering with the government to organise the recycling workshop was a testament to FBRA’s shared commitment to a sustainable future with reduced packaging waste pollution in Lagos State and beyond.

Maalouf said: “We are truly excited about the opportunity to collaborate, learn, and continuously inspire change together within the state of Lagos, and Nigeria as a whole.

“Our goal to beat packaging waste pollution in Lagos by 2025 is one that resonates with our stakeholders and partners. As a collective, we believe our enthusiasm can be spun into action, as we pave the way for a greener, cleaner, and more eco-conscious Nigeria.”

The ‘Trash Talk’ workshop engaged stakeholders across the packaging and bottling industries, government agencies, and the recycling alliance to enforce a collective responsibility for packaging waste pollution in the state, by reviewing Lagos’ current recycling position and defining next steps to promote a cleaner Lagos.

With the theme ‘Beating Packaging Waste Pollution in Lagos By 2025,’ the summit featured a range of educational sessions and speaking engagements, led by representatives from the private and public sectors, such as Chairman, FBRA, Ziad Maalouf, Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera; General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, (LASEPA), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, and Clem Ugorji.

On her part, GM at LASEPA, Dr. Fasawe, noted that, “‘Keep Lagos Clean’ has been a consistent mantra for our organisation across the years, and our efforts to promote a community around environmental responsibility in Lagos aligns deeply with the vision and dedication of our esteemed partners at FBRA.

“The Lagos State Government is working with the FBRA to encourage private-sector participation in packaging waste management within Lagos. In order to mirror the progress made in countries like Indonesia and Rwanda on waste management, we co-facilitated the ‘Trash Talk’ workshop to further uncover our collective roles in facilitating our sustainable development, and address the barriers that hinder the adoption of recycling practices amongst communities.”

Commenting further on the goals of the ‘Trash Talk’ workshop, Executive Vice Chairman, FCCPC, Irukera, noted that, “Sustainability is the most important conversation there is today globally, and it is about whether this world will be habitable for us over a period of time.

“There is a need for concerted action amongst all stakeholders whose businesses affect the environment in one way or another – this includes regulators, government, civil society, financers, the private sector, and all others.”

Participating organisations at the summit include the Food and Beverage Recycling Agency (FBRA), Bank of Industry, UNIDO, Sevenup Bottling Co, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Lagos Business School, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Central Bank of Nigeria, World Bank, Zenith Bank, Nestle, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Nigerian Breweries, Nigeria National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), ATUNLO, Lagos Recyclers Association, Reswaye, We Cyclers, Insight Redefini, Dow Chemicals, Frigo Glass, Indorama, Prima, Marble Capital, SRADev, AFBTE, Chi, Coca Cola Nigeria, and Mondelez.

Others include Tolaram Group, Alef, Alkem, Insight Publicis, Flex Films Africa, Lafarge, Poly Smart, Sonnex, PWC, FCCPC, Federal Ministry of Environment, Lagos State Parks and Gardens (LASPARK), Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Quadrant MSL, Embassy of Netherlands, Embassy of Taiwan, ACEN, GPAP, USAID and the academia.

As the industry coalition for the food and beverage sector, the packaging producer responsibility organisation to implement the extended producer responsibility in Nigeria, the Alliance has membership drawn from responsible and forward-thinking companies, including Nigerian Bottling Company Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Intercontinental Distillers Limited, International Breweries Limited, Tulip Cocoa, Prima Caps and Preforms, DOW Chemicals, Tetra Pak West Africa, The LaCasera Company Plc, Engee PET Manufacturing Company Limited, Omnik Limited, UAC Foods Limited, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Perfetti Van Melle, CHI Limited, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Beta Glass Plc/Frigoglass Industries Nigeria Limited, Kellogg Tolaram Plc, CWAY Limited, Dufil Plc, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, PolySmart Group, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Zard Group and British American Tobacco.