How Functional Markets For Recycled Plastics Can Create Job Opportunities

Experts have said that plastics have gained popularity worldwide as a preferred packaging material due to their unique properties, including durability, safety and hygiene, affordability, lightweight nature, design flexibility, and lower carbon footprint compared to glass packaging.

Additionally, they said that increasing adoption of plastics is influenced by rapid population growth and urbanisation.

According to a report, ‘‘recyclable plastics offer numerous benefits to society. They help protect and preserve food, reducing food wastage. These plastics also serve as essential inputs in vehicle and other manufacturing processes, as their lightweight properties result in lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, plastics save energy, reduce landfill usage, and find applications in infrastructure due to their leak-proof and durable characteristics, leading to water and material conservation.

‘‘It is important to note that the use of recyclable plastics generates employment opportunities across the value chain, including waste collection, sorting, transportation, and recycling. Moreover, it opens up possibilities for indirect jobs related to supporting operations in the value chain, such as constructing new recycling facilities, manufacturing recycling equipment, and maintaining and repairing recycling facilities and equipment.’’

An environmentalist, Louis Oke, said in recent years, there has been a growing global movement led by environmental activists to reduce plastic usage. He said, ‘‘Nigeria is no exception, as activists highlight the significant environmental threats posed by plastic waste in the country. Recent meta-analyses of life-cycle assessments (LCA) have unequivocally concluded that plastic recycling has a significantly smaller greenhouse gas footprint compared to plastic incineration or landfilling. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cited several credible sources in a 2018 report to support this finding.

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‘‘The value of recyclable plastics in the Nigerian and global markets cannot be underestimated. According to Statista, the global recycled plastic value chain was estimated to be $40 billion in 2021, with a projected compound annual growth rate of seven percent from 2022 to 2031. Similarly, the Imagine Nigeria report, jointly launched by the Federal Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), estimated the country’s green economy to be worth $250 billion in investment opportunities, with Nigeria’s plastic recycling industry alone being a potential $40 billion market. Our focus on mitigating the environmental impact of plastics should include establishing a resourceful and well-organized circular economy in Nigeria. A functional value chain with clear processes involving all stakeholders can make recycled plastics more efficient in the country.’’

According to another environmentalist, Ahmed Idris, through improved waste plastic collection and treatment, the promotion of waste prevention strategies such as reusable plastic products or easily recyclable designs, and effective end-of-life plastic recovery, the environmental impact of plastic use can be significantly reduced while creating more economic value. Waste prevention is widely recognized as an effective means of reducing plastic pollution.

‘‘Furthermore, the establishment of functional markets for recycled plastics and supportive government policies can lead to higher plastic collection rates and reduced plastic pollution. The government can take action by implementing regulations for waste dumpsites, increasing fees for landfill and incineration, setting targets for plastic producers and waste agencies regarding recovery and recycling, introducing certification standards for recycled plastics, implementing procurement requirements for recycled content in public projects, providing incentives for improved product and plastics design, and supporting research and development for better plastics management systems and sustainable packaging design. These policies can also encourage government agencies to collaborate with various circular economy focused groups and alliances to conduct consumer education and awareness campaigns highlighting the environmental benefits of plastic collection for recycling. They can also foster better coordination and communication across the plastics value chain,’’ he said.

Already, associations such as the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) have made significant progress in plastic waste recovery. Since 2018, FBRA members have recovered about 44,000 metric tons of PET waste, with projections of facilitating the collection of over 38,000 metric tons annually. Existing recycling companies are also set to export over 200,000 metric tons of processed PET products per year starting in 2023, generating income for the country through the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) administrative fee. These initiatives support GDP growth, foreign exchange availability, and strengthen the national currency. FBRA and its members have established over 70 PET collection centers between 2011 and 2023.

 Due to FBRA’s activation of the plastics value chain, significant investments have been made in the plastic recycling industry, including the acquisition of a 40,000-square-meter land area for a plastics recycling business and the acquisition of 3.7 hectares for a high-tech bottle-to-bottle plastics recycling factory.

Analysts believe that implementing the aforementioned recommendations will ensure that the beneficial aspects of plastics and their economic value are prudently harnessed in Nigeria, leading to the achievement of national environmental goals and significant socio-economic impacts for the people.