Police Raid Illegal Recycling Sites Destroying Beverage Bottles

The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with the Beer Sectoral Group (BSG), has raided illegal recycling factories in Anambra State, arresting several suspects for allegedly destroying returnable beverage bottles and plastic crates belonging to manufacturers.

The operation followed what the group described as credible intelligence on the illegal disposal, theft and unauthorised recycling of returnable packaging materials owned by beverage companies.

Speaking on the development, the executive secretary of BSG, Abiola Laseinde, said the joint operation targeted facilities that crush returnable glass bottles and shred plastic crates for resale as raw materials.

According to her, investigations revealed that significant quantities of the packaging materials were being diverted from legitimate distribution channels into informal recycling networks across parts of the South-East.

She said the affected factory operators were allegedly destroying the materials for reuse as raw inputs, causing beverage companies to lose millions of naira in investments.

Laseinde explained that the group had previously petitioned relevant security and regulatory authorities and engaged in intelligence-sharing efforts aimed at curbing the practice, recovering company assets and dismantling unauthorised recycling operations.

“The recent raid is the outcome of sustained engagements and intelligence-led investigations and represents a decisive step by authorities to protect legitimate business operations, uphold environmental standards and deter further illegal activity,” she said.

She described the destruction of returnable packaging materials as criminal and an act of economic sabotage, stressing that the bottles and crates remain company-owned assets designed for multiple reuse cycles under the beverage industry’s circular packaging model.

Beyond asset losses, she said the activities pose risks including supply chain disruptions, increased operational costs, environmental hazards from unsafe recycling practices and potential threats to public safety.

Laseinde warned individuals involved in the illegal operations to desist, stating that offenders would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

She also urged members of the public to report suspicious activities to the police or contact the consumer care lines of beverage companies.