1,800 jobs generated via PET recycling

PET bottles recycling, a new line of business which sprang from the foods and beverages industry currently generates about 1,800 jobs across value chains — pickers, collection centres and recycling plants. PET bottles are containers made of a hydrocarbon called PolyEthylene Terephthalate, or PET, for short.
Investigations revealed that the new industry which focuses on recycling of PET bottles, cans, crown-corks and labels, is being driven by multinational companies operating under an umbrella body called Nigerian Beverage Alliance. Its members comprise Coca-Cola Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nestle Nigeria Plc; Nigeria Bottling Company and Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc.
The recycling is done in partnership with Alkem Nigeria Ltd, a former textile company, which is now using its machines to recycle bottles for beverage industries. Mr. Clem Ugorji, the Association’s Secretary/ Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Coca Cola, told newsmen that although these companies are competing fiercely for market shares, they are also working together behind the scenes to drive the recycling economy.

“We do not want to be part of the problem of waste littering our streets, canals, instead we want to be part of the success story. We ensure that litters from our products do not constitute hazards to the business, the environment and the economy,” he said.

According to him, across Nigeria’s cities and villages, as in many other developing countries, solid waste, including PET bottles and other non-biodegradable materials, end up at dumpsites and landfills, often clogging drains and waterways, contributing to health and environmental hazards.