Circular Economy: Design products that can be recycled – NESREA tells producers
the responsibility of the producer is extended to the post-consumer stage or end-of-life;
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), says the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR) makes it mandatory for Producers to design products that could be recycled in line with circular economy.
This is contained in a statement by Nwamaka Ejiofor, Assistant Director of Press, NESREA, on Wednesday in Abuja.
She said Prof. Innocent Barikor, the Director- General of NESREA, stated this at the NESREA Half Hour.
Half Hour is an environmental programme by NESREA in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps, which airs on the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM Abuja.
He said the EPR makes it mandatory for producers to design and package products that can be recycled or reused in line with the circular economy.
Barikor, who was represented by the Assistant Director Plastic, NESREA, Mr Chukwudi Nwabuisiaku, described circular economy as an economic system where products and packaging are designed to last.
He said that products and their packaging at post-consumer stage or end-of-life were managed in a manner that such products could be recycled, reused, upgraded, repurposed or upcycled.
“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 also stated that all producers are mandated to register with the relevant producer responsibility organisation of their product’s sector.
He said that the programme had already commenced in the country for the food and beverage , battery, electrical and electronics and tyre sectors.
Barikor said the agency was also partnering with a Fintech company to strengthen the implementation framework for the formalisation of the downstream operators of the value chain.
He said that the agency would ensure that waste pickers and collectors were properly trained and incentivised by the producer responsibility organisations.