FG, NAFDAC, SON, NESREA Laud 50% Recycled Nestle Pure Life Bottles

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, and other government agencies on Wednesday applauded Nestle Nigeria Plc for blazing the trail with the introduction of new bottles, including recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), effectively reducing the use of virgin plastics by 50 per cent.

The stakeholders believe that the inclusion of the 50 per cent rPET in Nestle’s Pure Life bottles is a bold step by the company towards tackling environmental pollution posed by plastic bottles in the country.

The minister, who was represented at the official presentation of the new Nestlé Pure Life bottles in Abuja, by the Director for Chemical and Non-Petrochemical Department, Francis Onuorah, said the nation’s industrial policy emphasises recycling as an alternative to the environmental challenges posed by plastic bottles

She noted that the Nigerian economy is heavy on oil and gas in terms of petrochemicals and in terms of plastics, adding that when the world is saying phase out plastics or phase out oil vis-a-vis COP28,  the importance of oil in the economy should not be underestimated.

According to her, it would amount to throwing away the baby with the bathwater, adding that: “We must understand the issue of sustainable development.”

She explained that the approach should be how to address the problem of plastics without hurting the economy.

The minister applauded Nestle Nigeria for its trailblazing approach in addressing the menace of plastic bottles to the environment, noting that “our answer to plastic challenge is recycling” which Nestle is spearheading.

Uzoka-Anite stressed that the government was highly impressed with the commendable step taken by Nestle, and urged other corporate bodies and stakeholders to follow suit.

At the event, representatives from the National Agency for Food and Drugs Adminstration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), among others, also spoke glowingly about Nestle’s pathfinding step in recycling plastic bottles.

Speaking on the journey towards plastics neutrality and significance of 50 per cent rPET inclusion in the Nestle Pure Life bottles, the Managing Director/CEO of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Wassim Elhusseini, said: “Since 2018, Nestle Nigeria has been working with partners to recover as much plastic as we sell, based on a ‘one tonne in, one tonne out principle’.

“In 2021, we started on the step by teaming up with ALEF to achieve our objective of cutting virgin plastic in our packaging by a third by 2025.

“Today, we are very proud to be the first to achieve this milestone of 50% rPET inclusion in our water bottles in Nigeria, thanks to the resilience of our team working with ALEF to produce food grade rPET in Nigeria.

“I also recognise and commend the regulatory agencies—NESREA, SON and NAFDAC which have ensured compliance to the highest standards.”

The Nestle CEO noted that his company has been at the forefront of efforts to develop well-functioning collection, sorting and recycling systems for PET in Nigeria, from the introduction of innovative bottles, collaborating with other stakeholders for increased collection, while building an ecosystem for recycling.

He disclosed that ALEF was instrumental to achieving 50 per cent rPET in Nestle Pure Life bottles

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