BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
In line with Circular Economy, the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR) mandated producers to design products and packaging that can be recycled or reused subsequently.
Circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.
Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor stated this on Tuesday while responding to questions on NESREA Half Hour.
NESREA Half Hour is an environmental programme designed by NESREA in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps, that airs on Tuesday's at the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM Abuja.
Represented by the Assistant Director of Plastic, Engr. Chukwudi Nwabuisiaku, he described the circular economy as an economic system where products and packaging are designed to last, and their packaging at post-consumer stage or end-of-life are managed in a manner that such products can be recycled, reused, upgraded, repurposed or upcycled.
He said: "If you are producing anything, think of the end-of life of that product, it’s take-back, and what else it can be used for. Therefore, the responsibility of the producer is extended to the post-consumer stage or end-of-life.”
Barikor hinted that all producers are mandated to register with the relevant Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) of their product’s sector, adding that there are existing PROs in Nigeria for the food & beverage, battery, electrical and electronics and tyre sectors where the programme has already kicked off.
He stated that NESREA is partnering with a Fintech company to strengthen the implementation framework for the formalisation of downstream operators of the value chain and ensure that waste pickers and collectors are properly trained and incentivized by the PROs.
This was contained in a press statement by the Assistant Director (Press), NESREA, Mrs Nwamaka Ejiofor in Abuja.
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