In Nigeria, Beverage bottles( Alcohol and non-Alcoholic ) products are normally returned to the manufacturer for re-filling. This bottle return policy means that a bottle can be returned for re-filling as many times as possible in its life cycle before it is withdrawn from circulation.
When a bottle is returned for refilling, it goes through a rigorous process of cleaning and inspection before it is re-used. One of the cleaning processes is done by using Caustic Soda to wash the Labels off the bottles at a temperature of about 60oc. The Old labels are extracted from the bottles and discarded. Millions of these bottles are washed daily therefore the volume of waste labels generated by this process can be much. These labels are then sent to landfills.
In order to behave Environmentally responsibly and also adhere to the “Polluter pay principle,” some companies have opted to have their waste treated or recycled in order to maintain a complete cradle-to-grave approach. This is an expensive project and in some cases does not add much value to the profitability of the company apart from being sure of environmental responsibility. It is against this backdrop that EESL was approached by one of the Companies to help recycle the Labels from their process rather than sending them to Landfill.
PROPERTIES OF THE WASTE BOTTLE LABEL
- It is a very thin paper or pressure-sensitive label (PSL).
- It has residual Glue and Caustic Soda
- Contains broken glass
- Associated with straws, cellophane, wood, and metal parts
- Binds together because of the residual glue
- Can dissolve partly in strong solutions of Sulphuric, Nitric, or Hydrochloric acids
- Does not burn easily except in temperatures in excess of 350oC
RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is defined as the practical ability to satisfy the basic needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs.
The vision of a world-class company is to become a truly Sustainable Organization. Therefore sustainability encompasses the social, economic, and environmental aspects of a business. In other words, to enrich communities, create value and conserve the environment. With respect to the environmental aspect of this project, businesses achieve environmental sustainability by addressing environmental impacts across their end-to-end supply chain, from the supply of raw materials to the full disposal of waste.
THE CHALLENGE:
The main objective is to identify challenges and opportunities presented by Waste labels generated in the Beer packaging Industry and recommend appropriate recycling solutions without sending them to Landfill.
The technical capacity to deal with the recycling problem is generally weak and the lack of enforcement of (and compliance with) existing regulations makes for huge institutional obstacles when trying to effectively tackle these types of environmental issues.
To become truly sustainable, it is recognized that the Environmental monitoring bar needs to be raised by embedding guidelines that include a clear intent and specific design principles, supported by a robust implementation plan. This will ensure that the whole business will eventually live and breathe Environmental values.
The solution, therefore, is to consider where there is a reuse opportunity for the waste label. As much as possible the concept of “cradle to grave” need to be sought by businesses to ensure continuous profitability.
Bottle waste labels as a by-product of the brewery packaging operations is a classical example of an incomplete communication process between the Marketing and Sales team on the one hand, and the Technical /Supply Team on the other hand
But why is this so?
SALES AND MARKETING
When the Sales and Marketing team thinks of a new product that will excite consumers, they feed the idea to the Supply and Innovation team to try and develop such a product
The Supply/Technical innovation Team develops such products for the Market most times without recourse to how the resultant waste will be disposed off.
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
When materials for new products are being selected, consumer perception often outweighs environmental impact for example there is little consideration if the material is biologically degradable or not for example the Pressure Sensitive Labels (PSL) Labels and Aluminum foils which look very beautiful on packages but are not recyclable. Usually, there is also no consideration given to methods of disposal. This further exacerbates the problem of Landfills. Pressure then reverts to business to find suitable disposal methods. This communication disconnect is what leads to undegradable waste being sent to landfill.
NATIONAL STANDARDS AND REGULATION
There are no defined standards or specifications for solid waste Operations in Nigeria. The existing legislation does not go far enough to encourage consumers to sort or separate waste at source if anything, this is just coming into existence Domestic waste is still mixed and disposed of without sorting. This is why there are plenty of opportunities in solid waste recycling in Nigeria.
The recycling process becomes more difficult when the waste is not properly sorted.
No new landfills have been built over the years apart from the existing open dumps that are only being upgraded.
BENEFITS OF RECYCLING THE WASTE LABEL
- It reduces overall loading and zero waste to landfill
- Promotes corporate social responsibility
- Reduction in overall company carbon footprint
OPPORTUNITIES IN NIGERIA
