DESIGNING A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM FOR PET BOTTLES RECOVERY IN NIGERIA (MANAGEMENT PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
ABSTRACT
The project is to design a closed loop system for PET bottle recovery. The purpose is to tackle the issue of indiscriminate dumping of PET bottles and to build a sustainable long term design to enable manufacturing companies reclaim used PET bottles, recycle and reuse the bottles in their manufacturing operations
The thesis consist of the theoretical and the empirical sections which helped the author to divide the project into two different design options to fit the Nigerian context. In order to identify the most important issues to drive initial process to spur the returns of PET bottles, the writer interviewed people who are stakeholders in the industry notably Palpa in Finland, scavengers, and a PET bottle manufacturing company in Nigeria.
Based on the response from the above stakeholders, it was easy but challenging for the writer to note the most important issues to be taken into consideration for the successful implementation of the closed loop system in a country like Nigeria. The project implementation design validate the interview conducted which if implemented will yield the desired result.
1Â Â Â Introduction
The project is designing a return system of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles in Ni-geria. Introducing the closed loop system is a vital component in the designation of this system. There are various means of bottle recollection system worldwide based on the ex-isting infrastructure, knowledge and information and or orientation of consumers. These systems help the recollection process easy and less cumbersome.
Designing a system of return of PET bottles in Nigeria will be peculiar given the different infrastructure and challenges in that part of the world. There’s a growing need for such system considering the menace indiscriminate disposal of these bottles cause. Proper dis-posal and re-use/recycling will be beneficial both to the company and will drive the sus-tainability index of any organisation to the top of its operations.
Indiscriminate disposal can be seen by the dumping of bottles in landfill which can cause environmental impacts and interfere with the ecosystem. Dumping of bottles indiscrimi-nately also affects humans to a large degree and this gave rise to the concept of proper management.
Proper disposal of PET bottles involve the concept of recycling or reuse. The designing of a recollection system in Nigeria will focus on the case company partnering stakeholders in obtaining information which will aid the best approach and ultimately resulting in ensuring the success of such returns. The ever increasing population in most urban cities in Africa has necessitated the need for proper management of solid waste, PET bottles inclusive (Bjerkkli 2005, 1).
