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FG plans recycling scheme in beverage, electronic sectors

By Chinedum Uwaegbulam
04 December 2017   |   3:36 am
The new development was announced at the launch of the African Circular Economy Alliance at the just concluded climate change summit in Bonn, Germany, where the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril....

Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril

With green economy supporting a circular economy in which the use of materials and generation of waste are minimized, the Federal Government has begun moves to encourage industry to shift to closed-cycle manufacturing and efficient take-back schemes for recycling. 

The new development was announced at the launch of the African Circular Economy Alliance at the just concluded climate change summit in Bonn, Germany, where the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril said that the government is adopting regulatory and control mechanisms to promote Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme.

EPR programme promotes total life cycle environmental improvements of products by extending the responsibility of the manufacturers of the product to various parts of the entire life cycle of the product, and especially to the take-back, recycling and final disposal of the waste.

The minister who was represented by the Director General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Dr. Lawrence Chidi Anukam explained that NESREA initiated the EPR programme to ensure production processes incorporate realistic programmes for waste minimization through material recovery and recycling.

He said that EPR programme is a statutory provision in the various National Environmental Regulations in the “brown environment” sector, including the food, and beverage as well as the electrical/electronic sectors.

According to him, the implementation of the EPR programme is starting first in two sectors – the Food and Beverage and the Electrical Electronic sectors. 

“The food and beverage sector has established a working group comprising some key manufacturers in the sector to fast track the process. The electrical/electronic sector has also established a working Group comprising the country representatives of brand owners, original equipment manufacturers, major importers, marketers and users of electrical/electronic equipment,” he said.

The minister also disclosed that the House Committee on Environment of the Federal House of Representatives organised a stakeholders’ forum on EPR to sensitize the sector players on the need for strong commitment and participation in the EPR programme.

“In addition, NESREA has established the Alliance on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ASCP) which promotes green and circular economy. The membership of the Alliance includes relevant government agencies whose primary mandate has strong bearing on sustainable consumption and production patterns.

“The agencies in the Alliance include Nigeria Customs Service, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council, National Automotive Council, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, and NESREA.”

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