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Nigeria will adopt new regulations aimed at curbing the country’s plastic pollution, particularly from plastic packaging, which is the leading source of plastic waste.<\/p>\n
Developed with assistance from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), these regulations will hold companies accountable for managing the plastic packaging they produce and use.<\/p>\n
The imminent regulations are a part of extended producer responsibility (EPR), a legislative strategy that has been effective in Europe for over three decades.<\/p>\n
EPR laws have significantly mitigated waste from plastic packaging in various countries, and Nigerian officials are optimistic about similar outcomes.<\/p>\n
Nigeria National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency director general Innocent Barikor said: \u201cExtended producer responsibility as a strategy shifts the responsibility of waste management to the producers, adopting the polluter pays principle.\u201d<\/p>\n
With plastic production and imports escalating over the past two decades, Nigeria’s waste management systems are under severe strain, leading to widespread environmental pollution.<\/p>\n
Under the new EPR framework, companies involved in producing, importing, distributing, and selling plastic packaging will be required to finance producer responsibility organisations.<\/p>\n
These non-profit entities will be tasked with reducing packaging pollution, which constitutes 63% of the nation’s plastic waste.<\/p>\n
The regulations also mandate companies to seek alternative packaging solutions, fund recycling initiatives, simplify recyclability, and include a minimum proportion of recycled content in their packaging.<\/p>\n
Nigeria is currently formulating a strategy to enforce these regulations, with UNEP’s support, and they are expected to be operational within the next few months, according to Barikor.<\/p>\n
While EPR laws have been in place in some countries for over five decades, addressing various types of waste, studies from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that such regulations can enhance recycling rates, alleviate municipal burdens, and provide consistent funding for pollution control.<\/p>\n