To commemorate World Environment Day 2026, FBRA organised environmental education sessions for more than 250 secondary school students, conducted a recycling awareness campaign that reached over 1,000 residents, recovered more than three metric tonnes of recyclable waste from over 400 households through a community buyback programme in Igando, Lagos, and formally launched a new recyclables collection centre in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and West Africa ENRG.
The activities attracted strong participation from government agencies, private sector organisations and non-governmental organisations, including NESREA, the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, LAWMA, LASTMA, GIZ, FBRA member companies and other key stakeholders.
The first day of activities took place on 4 June 2026 at Gbaja Boys High School, Surulere, Lagos, where FBRA brought its environmental awareness campaign directly to students. More than 250 students from both the junior and senior secondary school sections participated in sessions focused on the environmental, social and economic impact of poor waste management, the principles of a circular economy and the role young Nigerians can play in promoting responsible waste disposal and recycling.
NESREA facilitated the session, while participation from the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and LAWMA demonstrated continued collaboration between environmental regulators and the producer responsibility model championed by FBRA. Member companies also supported the programme with refreshments and gift items for students.
“When we reach young people in their schools, we are not just educating them about recycling,” said Agharese Onaghise, Executive Director of FBRA. “We are building the generation that will change the narrative on improper waste disposal by taking action.”
The second day, held on 5 June 2026 in Igando, Alimosho Local Government Area, focused on community engagement and waste recovery. FBRA organised an awareness walk through the community, reaching more than 1,000 residents with messages on proper waste disposal, the value of post-consumer packaging and the importance of participating in organised collection systems.
Following the awareness walk, FBRA hosted a product buyback programme attended by more than 400 residents. Participants exchanged post-consumer packaging materials for food, beverage products and household items provided by FBRA member companies. More than three metric tonnes of post-consumer packaging waste were recovered during the exercise, preventing these materials from ending up in the environment and demonstrating Extended Producer Responsibility in action.
For many residents, the buyback programme provided an opportunity to see waste differently. Materials that would ordinarily be discarded were exchanged for household products, reinforcing the economic value of recyclable materials and encouraging participation in organised recovery systems.
The day also featured the official launch of a new FBRA-UNIDO recyclables collection centre managed by West Africa ENRG. The facility is one of three completed collection centres under the project and will provide households and small businesses with a reliable channel for the collection and recovery of recyclable materials.
The newly launched collection centre is designed to serve as a permanent community-based collection hub where residents and small businesses can deposit recyclable materials for collection and processing. The facility is expected to improve access to recycling services in the area while supporting Nigeria’s broader transition to a circular economy.
The success of this year’s World Environment Day activities reflects the value of collaboration among producers, regulators, recyclers and local communities. FBRA acknowledged the contribution of its member companies, whose support helped make the activities possible.
FBRA continues to encourage stronger support for the Extended Producer Responsibility framework across all levels of government and calls for increased participation by producers in organised packaging waste recovery systems. The Alliance remains committed to working with NESREA, state environmental agencies, recyclers, collectors and communities to expand recovery infrastructure, strengthen participation and improve the systems needed to track Nigeria’s progress in packaging waste recovery.
