FBRA Partners with Lagos Recyclers, Informal Sector and LAWMA to commemorate 3rd Year Anniversary of Lagos Recycles Initiative.

BY ALIMOTU SHADIA

The Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), recently partnered with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Lagos State Recyclers Association (LAGRA) to celebrate the third anniversary of the Lagos Recycling Initiative.

The Alliance, with current membership of 28 organizations, was established in 2018 as the industry-coalition Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for enhancing the collection and recovery of post-consumer packaging material in the Food and Beverage sector.

Within the last four years, the Alliance in partnership with stakeholders in the waste value chain in Lagos state has impacted over fifty communities to educate and create awareness on recycling, facilitated the training of 3,000 waste pickers and has supported the collection of over 25,000MT of recyclables for recovery to productive use through partnership with over 12 packaging waste aggregators.

FBRA has also partnered with several NGOs to educate children in schools on the need for responsible disposal including recycling and have provided 75 recycling collection giant bins in schools, public spaces, and communities.

The focus is for Alliance member companies to contribute funds to support the waste management operations of the waste ecosystem through the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the packaging sector.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Alliance, Onaghise Agharese emphasised the importance of source segregation at point of generation within homes and organisations to enhance the quality of the recyclables harvested.

She also emphasised the need for collaborative efforts of all relevant stakeholders to implement an effective waste management system whilst pledging the commitment of the Alliance member companies to support more projects.

The MD of LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni made a call out to all Food and Beverage
organisations to join the efforts of the Alliance and informed all that the Agency is set toimplement the Adopt the Bin Initiative where all households are expected to use the blue recycling bins to sort their waste, call for pick-up through PAKAM app and a LAGRA member in their vicinity will pick up their recyclables for an incentive.

Dr. Femi IdowuAdegoke, the Chairman, Lagos Recyclers Association (LAGRA) encouraged all to join the Zero waste campaign through continuous public education, attitudinal and behavioural change towards minimizing (reducing), reusing, recovering, repurposing (upcycling and downcycling) and recycling for an efficient and sustainable circular economy in Lagos.

He also provided a commitment that its members under Lagos Recyclers Association LAGRA are available to offtake recyclables for all households who have segregated its waste and books for collection through the PAKAM app.

PAKAM App is a technology application that can be downloaded from play store that connects households to collectors nearest to them to enable them trade in their separated waste for incentive or cash.

FBRA hereby encourages residents of Lagos state to adopt waste separation from source and recycling there by earning rewards and incentive from recycling through the PAKAM App for a cleaner Lagos and a better planet for us all.