Nestlé Nigeria and FBRA Drive Circular Economy, Recover Over 100,000 Tonnes of Plastic Waste

Nestlé Nigeria and FBRA Drive Circular Economy, Recover Over 100,000 Tonnes of Plastic Waste

As Nigeria’s population continues its steady rise—projected by the United Nations Population Fund to exceed 237 million by 2025—the challenge of managing solid waste has become increasingly urgent. According to the World Bank, the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, placing immense pressure on urban authorities and private sector players to adopt sustainable waste management solutions.

One of the most impactful responses to this growing challenge is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy introduced in 2014 by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). The policy led to the establishment of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) in 2018 as Nigeria’s first Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the food and beverage sector.

From an initial group of four founding members, FBRA has grown into a strong alliance of 49 member companies as of November 2025. Through collective action, the organisation has facilitated the recovery of more than 100,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste, repositioning post-consumer packaging waste as a valuable resource within Nigeria’s emerging circular economy.

Speaking on the Alliance’s impact, Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead at Nestlé Nigeria, noted that while FBRA may not be widely known among the public, its results are evident across communities, particularly in Lagos State, through cleaner environments and improved livelihoods for waste collectors.

Nestlé Nigeria, one of the country’s leading food and beverage companies, has played a pivotal role in advancing environmental sustainability through its active participation in FBRA. As a founding member of the Alliance, the company has consistently demonstrated leadership in packaging innovation and waste recovery initiatives.

According to Uwadoka, competition among producers does not hinder collaboration on environmental responsibility. “Though as producers we compete commercially, we unite as collaborators when it comes to fulfilling shared environmental responsibilities,” she said.

In December 2023, Nestlé Nigeria achieved a major sustainability milestone by attaining 100 per cent plastic neutrality, successfully recovering and recycling an equivalent amount of plastic to what it introduced into the market. The company also made history as the first in Nigeria to incorporate 50 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) into its Nestlé Pure Life water bottles, in full compliance with Standards Organisation of Nigeria food-grade packaging requirements.

Through FBRA’s structured framework, producers, recyclers, collectors and regulators have been brought together to strengthen the waste value chain, from collection to recycling and reintegration into production. This collaborative model has helped create jobs, promote resource efficiency and reduce plastic pollution.

“The manufacturers do not produce plastics to litter the streets,” Uwadoka explained. “Consumers discard them, but through FBRA’s system, that waste is recovered, creating jobs and value in the process.”

She further emphasised Nestlé’s long-term commitment to circularity, noting that sustainable waste management goes beyond collection to reuse and reintegration. “Every bottle that is taken out and doesn’t end up in the ocean is one bottle less of a problem. Closing the loop is key—circularity is the destination,” she said.

The partnership between Nestlé Nigeria and FBRA highlights the power of industry-led collaboration in addressing environmental challenges. Through shared responsibility, sustained investment and innovation, both organisations are contributing significantly to improved waste management and advancing Nigeria’s sustainability goals.

As FBRA continues to strengthen collaboration across the recycling ecosystem and Nestlé Nigeria deepens its commitment to closing the loop, stakeholders agree that building a cleaner and more sustainable Nigeria remains a collective effort—one that is already yielding measurable results.