As we mark World Environment Day 2025, it’s time for businesses to rethink packaging, procurement, and their environmental legacy.

Every minute, a truckload of plastic enters our oceans. But long before it gets there, it begins its journey in a boardroom, where procurement decisions are made. As we mark World Environment Day 2025 under the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution,” it’s crucial to examine how corporate purchasing and packaging choices shape environmental outcomes and influence consumer behavior.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, 2023), the world produces over 400 million tons of plastic annually. In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, a significant share of this volume is consumed. Markets, streets, waterways, and drainage systems across the country are littered with single-use plastic bottles, creating hazardous conditions due to inadequate waste disposal and recycling systems.

UNDERSTANDING CORPORATE PROCUREMENT AND ITS IMPACT

The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) defines procurement as “the process of acquiring goods, services, or works from an external source.” No business operates in isolation. For instance, a beverage company must work with a packaging provider, often sourcing plastic bottles or aluminum cans. Traditionally, procurement focused on minimizing costs and risks. Today, it must also prioritize environmental responsibility, including:

• Recycling plans
• Waste reduction strategies
• Adoption of circular economy principles

Profit alone should no longer define business success. Every decision made by a company has a ripple effect on customers, communities, and the environment.

NIGERIAN COMPANIES LEADING SUSTAINABLE TRANSITIONS

Several Nigerian companies are transitioning from single-use plastic to sustainable alternatives. These include:

1. Nestlé Nigeria: Introduced bottles with 50% recycled content and aims for full recyclability by 2025.
2. Seven-Up Bottling Company: Participates in initiatives incorporating 25–50% recycled PET.
3. Coca-Cola Nigeria: Shifted from green to clear Sprite bottles for recyclability; launched a bottle collection hub in Lagos.
4. Nigerian Breweries & Guinness Nigeria: Use returnable bottles and support the Food & Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA).
5. Polysmart: Collects and recycles over 400 million bottles annually.
6. Alef Recycling: Converts PET waste into food-grade pellets.
7. Planet 3R: Turns plastic and textile waste into fashion items.
8. Salubata: Produces shoes from recycled plastic.
9. Richbol Environmental Services Ltd: Runs recycling initiatives supporting local employment.
10. Waste-Point Ltd: Operates a plastic recovery and sorting program.
11. Chanja Datti: Focuses on PET recycling and community empowerment.
12. Going Green Recycling Co.: Promotes plastic pollution awareness.
13. KALTANI: Manages diverse waste streams, supporting a circular economy.

These initiatives demonstrate that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive.

COMPANIES PRODUCING REUSABLE PLASTIC BOTTLES

Some Nigerian manufacturers are producing durable, reusable plastic bottles for household and industrial use:

• Rida Plastics Ltd: Produces SMARTPACK reusable PET bottles.
• Greengates Group Ltd: Manufactures bottles for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
• Environmental Expressions Ltd (EEL): Uses 100% recycled plastic for containers.
• Nampet Ventures Ltd: Specializes in PET preforms for refillable packaging.
• Techblow Nigeria Ltd: Offers custom blow-molded bottles and containers.

GOVERNMENT & NGO INITIATIVES

The Nigerian government introduced the National Policy on Plastic Waste Management (NPPWM) in 2021 to reduce plastic waste. Complementing this, the Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity (2023–2025) aims to recover 49,000 metric tons of waste and scale up recycling infrastructure.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT

Globally, many corporations are embracing sustainable packaging:

• Unilever: Plans to halve virgin plastic use by 2025.
• IKEA: Eliminated single-use plastics in its stores.
• Dell Technologies: Incorporates ocean-bound plastics in packaging.
• Amazon: Removed over 3 million tonnes of packaging waste since 2015.

These examples prove that environmental leadership begins at the top, and influences everything downstream.

CHALLENGES IN SOURCING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Despite good intentions, companies often face obstacles in adopting sustainable packaging:

• High Costs: Recycled or biodegradable materials are pricier and less available.
• Complex Supply Chains: Many suppliers don’t yet meet sustainability standards.
• Material Limitations: Alternatives sometimes lack the flexibility or durability of traditional plastics.

To reduce plastic pollution, companies should:

1. Partner Collaboratively: Work with sustainability firms, as seen in Unilever Nigeria and Wecyclers’ collaboration that recovered 13,000 tonnes of plastic.
2. Invest Consciously: Limit single-use plastic procurement and adopt sustainable alternatives.
3. Explore Reusable Materials: Use stainless steel, glass, or copper packaging.
4. Support Regulation: Encourage laws that promote recyclable and reusable materials.
5. Implement Buy-Back Schemes: Encourage returns of used bottles to reduce waste

Every procurement decision, from sourcing bottles to selecting packaging, has environmental consequences. This World Environment Day, businesses in Nigeria and beyond are called to make smarter choices that shape a cleaner future.

By embedding sustainability into corporate DNA, companies can reduce their plastic footprint and inspire consumers to follow suit. But this journey requires shared responsibility, from producers to policymakers, from suppliers to citizens.

A cleaner, greener Nigeria is possible. But it starts with the choices we make today.

References

Below are the references used or mentioned in the article:

1. UN Environment Programme (UNEP), 2023 – https://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/
2. CIPS – Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply – https://www.cips.org/knowledge/procurement-topics-and-skills/procurement/
3. World Economic Forum, 2020 – Circular Economy Initiatives
4. Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, 2019 – https://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/
5. IKEA Sustainability Report, 2018 – https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/this-is-ikea/newsroom/sustainability-report-pub7623ff20
6. Dell Technologies Ocean Plastic Packaging – https://www.dell.com/en-us/dt/corporate/social-impact/advancing-sustainability/ocean-plastics.htm
7. Amazon Sustainability, 2022 – https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/
8. Greenpeace Plastic Guide, 2021 – https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-packaging/
9. Plastics Industry Association, 2023 – Barriers to Bioplastics and Sustainable Packaging
10. Legacy Worldwide, 2022 – Supply Chain and ESG Challenges
11. National Policy on Plastic Waste Management, Nigeria (2021) – Federal Ministry of Environment
12. Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity (2023–2025) – Implemented with development partners and NGOs