Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), proper investment and policy incentives have been identified as critical foundations in driving adoption and compliance with recycling standards across industries.
Participants who spoke at a recent ‘Trash Talk’ summit on addressing packaging waste pollution in Lagos agreed that producers, corporate users, and consumers, all play a pivotal role in shifting Nigeria’s recycling and waste management culture.
The summit with the theme “Beating Packaging Waste Pollution in Lagos By 2025”, was organised by Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, FBRA, and Lagos State Government. It engaged stakeholders across 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 the next steps to promote a cleaner Lagos.
To catalyse change and ensure the success of a cleaner Lagos, FBRA charged the private sector to push the needle on their sustainability practices and align on industry frameworks around waste management.
Speaking at the event, FBRA’s Chairman, Ziad Maalouf, expressed delight in partnering with the government for the recycling workshop which he said is a “testament to our shared commitment to a sustainable future with reduced packaging waste pollution.”
Maalouf said, “Our goal to beat packaging waste pollution in Lagos by 2025 is one that resonates with our stakeholders and partners. Collectively, we believe our enthusiasm can be spun into action, as we pave the way for a greener, cleaner, and more eco-conscious Nigeria.”
Also speaking, Dolapo Fasawe, GM at LASEPA said, “Lagos State Government is working with the FBRA to encourage private-sector participation in packaging waste management within Lagos.”
He explained that in order to mirror the progress made in countries like Indonesia and Rwanda on waste management, LASEPA co-facilitated the Trash Talk workshop to further uncover collective roles in facilitating 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, Babatunde Irukera, Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), noted that, “Sustainability is the most important conversation today globally, and it’s about whether this world will be habitable over a period of time.
He therefore said, “there’s 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.”
