As Nigeria battles escalating solid waste generation fuelled by rapid population growth and urbanisation, private-sector collaboration is emerging as a critical force in addressing the country’s environmental challenges. At the forefront of this effort is the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), an industry-led initiative driving plastic waste recovery and promoting a circular economy.
Nigeria generates more than 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, according to the World Bank, placing mounting pressure on already strained waste management systems. In response, the Federal Government introduced the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework in 2014 through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), shifting greater responsibility for post-consumer waste to producers.
That policy laid the foundation for the establishment of FBRA in 2018, Nigeria’s first Producer Responsibility Organisation dedicated to the food and beverage sector. From just four founding companies, the Alliance has expanded to 42 member companies by 2025, collectively recovering over 100,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste and advancing sustainable packaging practices nationwide.
A founding member of the Alliance, Nestlé Nigeria has played a pivotal role in scaling up plastic recovery and driving packaging innovation. In December 2023, the company achieved 100 per cent plastic neutrality, recovering an amount of plastic equivalent to what it introduced into the Nigerian market.
Nestlé also broke new ground by becoming the first company in Nigeria to introduce bottles made with 50 per cent recycled PET for its Nestlé Pure Life water brand, while fully complying with national food-grade safety standards.
According to Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead at Nestlé Nigeria, the impact of FBRA’s work is increasingly visible, particularly in Lagos State.
“While producers compete in the marketplace, we collaborate through FBRA to fulfil our shared environmental responsibilities,” Uwadoka said, noting improvements in community cleanliness and better livelihoods for waste collectors operating within the recycling value chain.
Through FBRA’s coordinated framework, producers, recyclers, waste collectors and regulators are working together to retrieve, recycle and reintegrate plastic waste into production cycles. The approach is not only reducing plastic pollution but also creating jobs, generating economic value and strengthening Nigeria’s recycling ecosystem.
The growing impact of the FBRA–Nestlé partnership underscores the potential of coordinated private-sector action to complement public policy, support Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy, and advance national climate and sustainability goals.
As Nigeria continues to confront the twin pressures of population growth and environmental degradation, stakeholders say such collaborative models could prove decisive in building a cleaner, more resilient future.
