The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has urged the Federal Government to strengthen the enforcement of recycling policies to address the growing problem of plastic waste in Nigeria.
The monarch made the call during the official opening of Polysmart Packaging Ltd., a Nigerian-owned recycling company in Ogun State.
He expressed concern over the indiscriminate disposal of plastic bottles and other waste materials on roads and drainage systems, warning that the practice posed serious environmental challenges.
Oba Ogunwusi commended the company for investing in waste recycling and environmental protection, stressing the need for Nigerians to adopt proper waste disposal practices and comply with environmental regulations.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Polysmart Packaging Ltd., Wasiu Balogun, said the company’s newly expanded $60 million facility would significantly boost plastic waste recycling capacity in Nigeria.
Balogun disclosed that the company, which began operations in 2013 with an initial capital of N2 million, had expanded its operations to meet the growing demand for plastic waste recycling.
He said the company would collaborate with relevant regulatory agencies to promote proper waste management and support manufacturers in complying with environmental regulations.
According to him, the company plans to establish a network of waste collection agents across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to improve the recovery and recycling of plastic materials.
He added that the facility would process 100,000 tonnes of mixed plastics annually at full capacity, equivalent to approximately 6.5 billion PET bottles or 15 million bottles daily.
Balogun said the initiative would help reduce plastic waste dumped in landfills, burnt or washed into the Atlantic Ocean.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Polysmart Packaging Ltd., Niyi Yusuf, described the facility as Africa’s largest food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) plant.
He said the investment demonstrated confidence in Nigeria’s industrial sector and would position the country as a major recycling hub in West Africa.
Yusuf called for stronger extended producer responsibility policies and increased investment in waste collection and processing infrastructure, citing Germany, South Korea and the Netherlands as examples of countries with established recycling systems.