World’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak, through its operating unit in West Africa, has signed a recycling agreement with Onward Paper Mill to develop sustainable recycling solutions for Used Beverage Cartons (UBC) in Nigeria.
Under the agreement, the Nigerian manufacturer and marketer of paper products will use recycled beverage cartons as raw material, riding on Tetra Pak’s expertise in collecting and recycling the packages.
“We protect our planet by contributing to the circular economy in recycling all packaging materials collected.
“Through our efforts, we have helped to grow the number of facilities that recycle cartons from 40 in 2002 to 170 today, globally,” said Managing Director Tetra Pak West Africa, Mr. Aruna Oshiokamele.
Currently, Onward Paper Mill with an annual production capacity of 20,000 tonnes uses wood to manufacture its paper, board and other tissue products.
Through this partnership, the Nigerian company hopes to increase its production and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development objectives (SDO) in Nigeria by reducing deforestation.
According to AARC (Action Alliance for Recycling Beverage Cartons), recycling one tonne of waste beverage cartons saves 17 trees, 1060 litres of oil, 4000 kW of electricity and more than 25 m3 of water.
Commenting on the collaboration, Executive Chairman, Onward Paper Mill LTD, Mr. Kunle Obagun explained that the partnership will focus on reducing the presence of UBC in the landfill and other waste dump sites by engaging in public awareness and supporting the targeted collection of UBC from the consuming public through various campaigns and initiatives in schools and communities.
The recycling agreement will further educate the public on wastes management systems while supporting local regulations and responding to customers’ demands.
“From our School Feeding Programmes to our circular economy commitments, to our Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, we constantly strive towards safeguarding our own employees and supporting communities where we operate and protecting the future of our planet and the long-term success of our customers,” indicated Tetra Pak on a press-statement.
Nigeria generates more than 32 million tons of solid waste annually, out of which only 20-30% is collected. Many cities in the country face serious plastic waste management challenges.
Other companies that have also undertaken projects to reduce solid waste pollution in the West African nation include Coca-Cola.
The soft beverage giant through its philanthropic arm, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) recently provided a grant to the Initiative for The Advancement of Waste Management in Africa (W.A.S.T.E Africa), to promote waste recycling in the country.
WASTE is a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to increase awareness of waste challenges and solutions through the Cash 4 Trash initiative, which targets vulnerable women and youths.
The funding will be utilized to build solar-powered recycling hubs across Abuja and Lagos, where the residents will be encouraged to adopt the habit of recycling and turn their waste into wealth.
Meanwhile, Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire has signed a partnership with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development through the Ivorian Anti-Pollution Center (CIAPOL) and the Department of Green Economy and Social Responsibility of Organizations (DEVRSO), for the implementation of the project “All for responsible management of plastic waste.”
The aim of this alliance is to promote the responsible use and recycling of plastic waste as a means of sustainable environmental protection.
To achieve this goal, they will set up pilot plastic waste collection and recovery systems, evaluate the systems and analyse the relevance and viability of the economic models for the recovery of collected waste.
Since 2019, Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire has initiated and implemented different projects geared towards achieving 100% reusable or recyclable packaging by 2025.
Some of those projects include ‘In my town, I sort my plastic’, ‘At the market, I sort my plastic’ and ‘Traveling collectors’
