Stakeholders in the manufacturing and waste management sectors have applauded the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) for its initiatives aimed at optimising plastic packaging and waste management.

At the annual NBC Stakeholders Forum, they commended the company for leading efforts to eradicate the menace of plastic waste.

Special Adviser to the Ogun State Government on Environment, Ola Oresanya, hailed NBC for holding the forum which will go a long way in entrenching the culture of internal self-regulation in the fight against waste.

Minister of Environment, Mahmood Abubakar, represented by the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Charles Ikeah, echoed similar sentiments and lauded the company for organising the forum and for being at the forefront of the fight against environmental waste.

Abubakar highlighted the government’s commitment to awareness creation, as well as provision of an enabling environment for private sector participation.

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President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ahmed Mansur, urged other organisations to emulate NBC’s ambitious commitment to rid the environment of plastic wastes and prioritize the lifecycle of their packaging materials in their production processes.

Managing Director of NBC Matthieu Segun, said the company will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that challenges in the waste management ecosystem are converted to viable economic opportunities.

“We believe every package has value and life beyond its initial use and that it should be collected and recycled into a new package,” he said.

Sustainability Director for The Coca-Cola Company Africa, David Drew, said the beverage giant plans to achieve a world without waste by ensuring recyclability of plastic bottles, reduction of plastic in secondary packaging, reduction of weight of bottles and building collection points for proper waste disposal and sorting.