Recycling alliance holds beach clean-up exercise to address plastic pollution

The Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) and member companies held a beach clean-up exercise to commemorate the 2023 World Oceans Day.

World Oceans Day is marked on June 8 annually.

Ziad Maalouf, FBRA chairman, led the exercise which took place at the Elegushi beach in Lagos to encourage more sustainable practices.

Maalouf said the initiative aims to influence the environmental footprints of companies across the food and beverage industry, as well as to place priority on plastic waste management.

The chairman said the FBRA is committed to protecting and preserving the environment from post-consumer packaging material.

“The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step and the journey to a green Nigeria starts with cleaning one spot,” he said.

“This beach clean-up event is in alignment with our commitment to environmental stewardship in Nigeria. Our environment holds the fabric of our society together, and our dependence on it is undeniable.

“We must move from a linear economy to a circular economy that protects and drives profit within the Nigerian economy.

“This involves creating investments for a sustainable future, working with local recyclers, and preserving the profit from those streams within the country.”

Agharese Onaghise, FBRA executive secretary, also emphasised the significance of working together to manage waste and pollution.

“Members of the FBRA have joined forces to address these issues as part of their extended producer responsibility,” Onaghise said.

“This event is aligned with the global theme of this year’s World Environment Day – Solutions for Plastic Pollution– as a driver to collectively address the menace of plastic pollution.

“We are excited to have 29 members of the FBRA from the food and beverage industry contributing to solve the issues that affect our environment, supporting the collection of post-consumer waste.

“We must continue to encourage these practices, ensuring they become ingrained in our culture.”

Member companies represented at this year’s beach clean-up include SBC Nigeria Limited, Nigeria Breweries Plc, The LaCasera Company Plc, Nestle, and Guinness Nigeria Plc.

Other companies are CHI Limited, UAC Foods, Nigerian Bottling Company, CWAY Foods, Prima Corporation Limited, International Breweries Limited, Nestle Nigeria Plc, and Tetrapak West Africa.