Tackling plastic packaging in Nigeria

National Guideline published for the implementation of EPR programme

Following a multi-stakeholder consultation process, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency of Nigeria (NESREA) has published the following report:

National Guideline for the Implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme on Packaging (Plastic) in Line with Circular Economy

The document provides the basis for the EPR programme, and its purpose is to provide comprehensive guidance on effective EPR implementation to all stakeholders in the plastics sector.

The National Guideline provides crucial definitions such as the definition of producer, retailer, packaging, EPR fees, and producer responsibility organisation (PRO).

It identifies key stakeholders, allocating roles and responsibilities to producers, PROs, retailers, waste management actors, the Registry, the public sector and civil society organisations in Nigeria.

Equally important is the proposal of mandatory collection, recycling and recovery targets.

As the next step, NESREA is conducting sensitisation programmes to stakeholders on the provisions of the guidance document and also finalising the National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations, which would ensure implementation of the National Guideline.

The document was developed with the support of the World Bank, which, within the PROBLUE multi-donor trust fund, hired the technical expertise of Landbell Group.

Other partners in this project were UNEP and the Government of Japan, through its embassy in Nairobi, who organised stakeholder meetings to review the Guidelines and supported its publication and dissemination.