By Zika Bobby
Members of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) held a symbolic beach cleanup exercise to commemorate this year’s World Ocean Day.
Led by its Chairman, Ziad Maalouf, the beach cleanup, which took place at Elegushi Beach, Lagos, was adopted as a springboard for encouraging more sustainable practices around the country’s ecosystem. With member-companies gathered, the beach clean-up exercise engaged attendees in a series of activities to remove plastic debris and other pollutants from the environs.
FBRA’s participation in the global commemoration models the company’s commitment to protecting and preserving the environment from post-consumer packaging material. In step with the alliance’s mission, FBRA is placing priority on influencing the management of plastic waste and the environmental footprints of entities across the food and beverage industry.
Maalouf said: “The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step – and the journey to a green Nigeria starts with cleaning one spot. 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.”
One of FBRA’s key foci is to further the industry’s alignment with the NESREA operational guidelines for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as well as the United Nations’ sustainable development goals to address climate action, life on land, life below water, responsible consumption and production, and other pressing themes.
Since 2012, members of the FBRA have set ambitious goals to support the circular economy and enhance its recycling infrastructure. By actively participating in FBRA and other industry initiatives, members aim to lead by example and inspire collaborative action for a sustainable future.
FBRA Executive Secretary, Agharese Onaghise emphasised the importance of collaboration in tackling waste management and pollution.
said members of the FBRA have joined forces to address the issues as part of their extended producer responsibility.