FBRA Urges Proper Disposal of Plastic Waste for Cleaner Environment

Martins Ifijeh

As the World Clean-up Day draws near, the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has called on consumers to imbibe the culture of proper disposal of used post-consumer packaging waste with special focus on Polythylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles to avoid environmental pollution.

FBRA, which is the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) of companies in the food and beverage sector, explained that a healthy lifestyle that embraces waste management, is necessary for the ecosystem to get rid of diseases associated with unhealthy environment.

The alliance will on September 14, along with its collection partner Recycle Points, which is the eve of the World Clean-up Day, engage in cleaning exercise and will educate members of the public on waste separation and management at the Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos.

The exercise will involve volunteer staff from its member companies which include Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, the Coca-Cola Company Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited and Nestle Nigeria Plc.

They will be involved in cleaning of refuse sites within the market, as well as drainages filled with debris from packaging waste bottles.

As part of the initiative, traders and people in the market would be enlightened on issues relating to proper disposal and recycling, healthy lifestyle and measures aimed at curbing environmental pollution.

FBRA was founded in 2013 as a self-regulatory initiative to aid the collection and recycling of post-consumer packaging of the food and beverage sector.

FBRA ensures the success of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy of the Federal Government.

The policy is aimed at ensuring that companies take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products.

Through its advocacy, the alliance has been emphasising the need for sectoral action under a PRO to ensure that companies collectively engage in the recovery and recycling of their packaging wastes for a cleaner and healthier environment.