Nestlé Sympathizing With Greenpeace Over Experts' Fear Of Plastic Waste Pollution 

While experts fear that plastic waste pollution in the country will continue to rise until 2050 and searching earnestly for solutions, Nestlé says it sympathizes with Greenpeace's ambition to stop plastic waste from entering rivers and oceans and has set a new global target to make 100% of its packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025 and are working hard to achieve this goal. ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE in this report traces how Nestlé is putting in place the 5 Cs of sustainability (consciousness, conservation, community, commerce and culture)

Femi Idowu-Adegoke has been unhappy because of the continuous erosion of the environment by plastic pollution. According to him and in his capacity as President of the Lagos Recyclers Association, it is unbelievable that the residents of Lagos completely disregard the various measures that have been put in place to control plastic pollution in anticipation of putting more plastic on the market but gutters are overflowing with dirt everywhere one turns.

Lagos is one of those cities such as Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt, which has seen a significant increase in solid waste and is a city where experts such as the World Bank have estimated that more than 60 people migrate every hour. Adamu Garba, the Chief Operating Officer, of Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC), who was disturbed by that situation, expressed concern over solid waste management in Nigeria, particularly plastic waste, calling it a potential threat in a country seeking rapid urbanization and population growth.

An even worse impact is that despite being considered the “Giant of Africa”, the country is desperately searching for ways to recycle plastic waste, and its efforts are not even covering 20 percent of the 2.5 million tons of plastic waste generated annually (from plastic waste). According to NCIC, this despicable act has placed the country 9th in the list of plastic waste-generating countries.

Contrary to the tonnage of plastic waste that Nigeria generates annually, the World Bank was concerned by the amount of solid waste that Nigeria generates annually, at 32 million tons.

This percentage is expected to increase to more than 100 million tons by 2050. In contrast to the NCIC position, the World Bank complains that only 30 percent of the waste generated is properly treated. The World Bank's latest report, "Detoxing Development: Repurposing Environmentally Harmful Subsidies," ranks Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and India as the three countries with the highest burden of pollution and environmental disasters. Nearly half of the world's population is exposed to pollution that is extremely harmful to health.

Experts say there are all sorts of problems with the country's sloppy approach to waste management, which adds to the dangers it poses to its people and cities.

According to the official, "In the absence of an efficient waste management system, solid waste is usually dumped in illegal makeshift landfills, collected in heaps, burned on the spot or left on highways and street corners, while other waste ends up in open drains, polluting nearby streams, waterways and roads and clogging drains.

"Sometimes, water seeps through landfills, carrying contaminants into groundwater and adjacent water bodies, which can eventually reach the food chain and drinking water sources. Improper disposal of batteries and other hazardous chemical wastes can lead to dioxins leaching into the surrounding soil, contaminating the soil."

Furthermore, burning organic waste on public roads can release carcinogens into the air, which can cause respiratory illnesses in people.

Encouraging Sustainable Environment
While experts fear that plastic waste pollution in the country will continue to rise until 2050, Nestlé said it sympathizes with Greenpeace's ambition to stop plastic waste from entering rivers and oceans.

According to the company's official statement, "We have set a new global target to make 100% of our packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025 and are working hard to achieve this goal."

Nestlé also said it aims to halve its carbon footprint by 2030, following its sustainability model. According to the nutrition maker, "To achieve this, we are transforming every aspect of our business, from converting our trucks to alternative fuels and factories to renewable electricity to using less plastic and adopting packaging that is more easily recycled and reused."

While the government authorities were apprehensive about ways to handle plastic waste pollution, Nestlé added that it was working to reduce waste and improve its manufacturing processes, from efficient heating and cooling systems in its offices and factories to timers for lights and monitors, despite BBC reports such as "Misleading claims that plastic bottles are 100% recycled. Consumer and two environmental groups filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in 2023 over alleged greenwashing."

Competitive Advantages Over Its Rivals
Despite the "pollution scandal," Nestlé says it boasts of several competitive advantages over its rivals, including strong research and development capabilities through a large global network of R&D facilities. It also benefits from partnerships with leading companies across a range of industries, including Starbucks, Gerber and Ralston Purina, to practice the 5 Cs of sustainability (consciousness, conservation, community, commerce and culture). Tackling environmental waste issues has earned the company a CDP Leadership Class in the area of ​​climate change, a B in water security, an A- in palm oil and a B in other forest commodities.

The five pillars of environmental sustainability - sustainability, economy, society, environment, culture and security - have encouraged Nestlé to uphold examples of environmental sustainability in the areas of renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass; recycling of metals and minerals such as steel; crop rotation; and cover crops.

Taking Responsibility
Nestlé is clear: "We know that Nestlé emitted 92 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018. We now know the extent and what happens next.

"Companies and their emissions grow over time, which is why we are committed to achieving a net zero level of our balance sheet based on a 2018 baseline, no matter how much our business grows.

"Our goal is a future where our packaging does not end up in landfill or as waste." The company remains committed to achieving and maintaining 100% deforestation-free primary supply chains for meat, palm oil, paper pulp, soy and sugar, and aims to achieve this by 2025 for coffee and cocoa.

"Our planet and we do this by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using less water and achieving zero waste at our factories.

"Water is precious, which is why we consider sustainability principles when sourcing, producing and delivering our purified water. If we take the time to make environmentally and socially conscious decisions, we can meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

In all this, Nestlé Pure Life promotes sustainable environmental protection by hosting a "Water Education Day" event to celebrate World Water Day. The event teaches the importance of efficient water consumption, and sustainable development of water resources, and allows children to set a good example for future generations and learn to conserve water at home and in their communities. Idowu-Adegoke said, "People need to realize that plastic waste has value and change their attitude by putting this plastic waste for recycling. This is he case when it is not possible to completely avoid using single-use plastics. The best environmental solution is to stop using single-use plastics altogether."

Onwumere is Chairman of, the Advocacy Network On Religious And Cultural Coexistence (ANORACC).