​Evboneka Brand Audit SEDI Hold Coca-Cola Accountable for Plastic Pollution

​For decades, the narrative surrounding plastic pollution in rural and semi-urban Nigerian communities has followed a familiar, exhausting script: public authorities blame residents for "indiscriminate dumping," while multinational corporations quietly profit from the single-use packaging driving the crisis.

​But in Evboneka, a community in the Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, residents are rewriting the script.

​Through a groundbreaking Ebvoneka Community Waste and Brand Audit, local citizens have transitioned from passive victims of environmental degradation to data-driven advocates. Conducted by the Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI) under the umbrella of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), this 7-day citizen-science initiative has turned the tables on corporate polluters, naming The Coca-Cola Company as the absolute heaviest contributor to the community's plastic crisis.

​Shifting the Blame: From "Littering Citizens" to Corporate Giants

​During interactive Town Hall sessions and door-to-door community walks, volunteers mobilized to sweep the community's roadsides, commercial zones, and drainage channels. The goal wasn’t just to clean up, but to catalog the trash. By tracking discarded plastics back to their parent corporations, the audit successfully shifted the narrative from public shaming to corporate accountability.

​The audit recovered 16.85 kg of plastic waste, which was meticulously segregated by resin type:

• ​Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) — 69%: Comprising the vast majority of the waste, driven entirely by soft drinks, energy drinks, and bottled water.
• ​High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) — 31%: Consisting of household items like detergent containers, herbicide cans, and jerrycans.

​The Evidence Log: Tracking the Corporate Footprint

​When the branded items were isolated and analyzed, the data revealed that a tiny handful of beverage companies are responsible for the vast majority of the plastic choking Evboneka's ecosystems.

​Plain Text Brand Audit Breakdown

• ​The Coca-Cola Company: 256 items | PET | 6.60 kg
• ​Akogate Groups Limited: 79 items | PET | 1.80 kg
• ​Seven-Up Bottling Company: 70 items | PET | 1.60 kg
• ​Cway Limited: 41 items | PET | 1.20 kg
• ​American Cola: 54 items | PET | 1.00 kg
• ​Monster Energy: 41 items | PET | 1.00 kg
• ​Fresh Yoghurt: 13 items | HDPE | 0.90 kg
• ​Mobil Super: 4 items | HDPE | 0.80 kg
• ​Intercontinental Distillers Limited: 13 items | HDPE | 0.65 kg
• ​Maltina Limited: 12 items | PET | 0.60 kg
• ​Rite Foods Limited: 17 items | PET | 0.40 kg
• ​Roundup Herbicide: 1 item | HDPE | 0.20 kg
• ​Nestle Pure Life: 2 items | PET | 0.10 kg

​Coca-Cola in the Crosshairs

​The definitive finding of the SEDI audit leaves no room for ambiguity: The Coca-Cola Company is the largest contributor of plastic waste in Evboneka.

​With 256 distinct plastic items weighing in at 6.60 kg, Coca-Cola alone is responsible for roughly 39% of the total plastic weight dragged out of Evboneka's environment. The data proves that the global giant’s aggressive, hyper-local distribution network of single-use PET bottles heavily outpaces any local capacity to manage the resulting waste stream.

​The Exploitation of Infrastructure Deficits

​The news angle in Evboneka is not just about the volume of plastic, but where it lands. The audit exposed a systemic flaw: multinational corporations are pushing high-volume single-use plastics into a community suffering from an absolute absence of formal municipal waste infrastructure.

​Without routine government collection, residents are left with no choice but to dump waste into drainage channels or burn it in historical piles. The audit proved that public awareness is not the problem; rather, educating households to separate trash is entirely useless if municipal trucks are non-existent or ultimately dump everything back into unmanaged landfills.

​The Manifesto for Change: Demanding Restitution

​Armed with hard metrics, community leaders are no longer asking for corporate charity; they are demanding structural systemic changes. SEDI and GAIA have laid out an aggressive action plan targeted directly at corporate and state authorities:

• ​Forcing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Activists are calling on the Edo State Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to use this audit data to enforce strict legal compliance, forcing top polluters like Coca-Cola to co-fund local community recycling hubs.
• ​Decentralized Sorting Facilities: The state must invest in modular Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to intercept, sort, and bale plastic resources at the LGA level before they clog critical drainage networks and cause seasonal flooding.
• ​Grassroots Plastic Kiosks & Bulk Models: Local businesses are being urged to pivot toward bulk dispensing models (bringing your own container), while community "Drainage Wardens" will police local gutters. Simultaneously, a market-led coalition aims to establish incentive-based collection cages to sell bulk PET back into the recycling value chain.

​Evboneka has proven that localized data can shatter corporate anonymity. The message to multinational beverage brands is clear: if you profit from introducing plastic into vulnerable communities, you must pay for its recovery.

Turning Trash into Treasure: Stakeholders Push for Mandatory Organic Waste Sorting in Nigeria

By Eranga Isaac

In a major push for climate action and food security, experts and policymakers are calling for a radical shift in how Nigeria handles its trash. At a recent workshop in Benin City titled "Organic Waste Diversion: From Dumpsites to Climate Solutions," stakeholders reached a consensus: the era of "throwing everything away" must end.

​The forum was hosted by the Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI) in partnership with the Multi-Solving Action for Methane Reduction in Nigeria (MAMRN). It brought together over 50 key players—including government officials, waste managers, farmers, and informal waste pickers—to bridge the gap between waste management and environmental protection.

​The Methane Problem

​According to Dr. Tom Aneni, Executive Director of SEDI, the current system is failing both the people and the planet. He highlighted several critical issues:

​Organic Overload: Between 50% and 80% of Nigeria’s municipal waste is organic matter.

​The Methane Threat: When left to rot in open dumpsites, this waste generates methane—a potent greenhouse gas that accelerates global warming.

​Missing Infrastructure: Despite the potential for composting, Nigeria lacks the necessary facilities to turn waste into resources.

​Lack of Segregation: Because households don't separate organic waste from plastic or metal at the source, valuable material is lost to pollution.

​"Organic waste diversion through composting is one of the fastest and lowest-cost ways to mitigate methane in Nigeria," Dr. Aneni noted. "We have an underutilized opportunity to support soil health and sustainable agriculture."

​Innovation and Inclusion

​The workshop highlighted emerging technologies like Black Soldier Fly (BSF) processing, which can transform food scraps into high-quality animal feed and bioenergy. Beyond the environment, Dr. Aneni emphasized that "green" waste initiatives are engines for inclusive job creation, particularly for women and youth.

​A significant point of discussion was the role of informal waste pickers. Currently sidelined, these workers are essential to the recovery of materials and must be integrated into the formal economy to improve their livelihoods and safety.

​The Path Forward: A Call to Action

​The stakeholders concluded the forum with a clear mandate for the Nigerian government:

Policy- Legislating mandatiry waste segregation at the source (homes and businesses);

Infrastructure- Build decentralized, community-based composting hub;

Agriculture- Incentivize the use of organic compost in farming and land restoration; and 

Climate Strategy- Formally integrate organic waste diversion into the national Methane Reduction Plan.

​By moving waste from dumpsites to composting pits, Nigeria can protect public health, rejuvenate its soil, and take a leading role in the global fight against climate change.

Phasing out Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Edo State, SEDI, others converge in Benin for practical action plans

By Isaac Eranga 

Agriculture remains a central pillar of Edo State’s economy, food security, and rural livelihoods. However, the continued and widespread use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) presents a growing threat to human health, environmental sustainability, and long-term agricultural productivity. These substances are associated with acute poisoning, chronic diseases, ecosystem degradation, soil infertility, and the emergence of pesticide-resistant pests.

Despite increasing global restrictions and international commitments to reduce pesticide-related risks, many HHPs remain readily accessible and widely used in Edo State due to affordability, limited awareness of alternatives, and weak regulatory enforcement. 

To this end, the Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI) outlines possible risks posed by HHPs, highlights proven and context-appropriate alternatives, and proposes practical, phased actions the Edo State Government can adopt to support a just transition toward safer, more resilient agricultural systems.

According to SEDI through her Executive Director- Dr. Tom Aneni, said "decisive action will reduce preventable health burdens, protect biodiversity, improve food safety, strengthen market competitiveness, and align Edo State with national priorities and global sustainable development commitments.

According to Dr. Aneni, "agriculture remains a cornerstone of Edo State’s economy, food security framework, and rural livelihoods, with a significant proportion of households depending directly or indirectly on crop production and related value chains for their income and sustenance.

" However, the increasing reliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) presents significant risks to human health, environmental sustainability, and long-term agricultural productivity in the state.

"Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are chemicals recognized internationally for their high acute or chronic toxicity, environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential, or irreversible health impacts. According to the FAO/WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, HHPs are those acknowledged to present particularly high levels of hazard to health and/or the environment, based on internationally accepted classification systems like the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). While HHPs are often viewed as quick solutions to pest problems, their continued use generates hidden costs that undermine public health, degrade ecosystems, and threaten food safety.

"In Edo State, like many other regions in Nigeria, there is a rising concern about the widespread use of these dangerous pesticides, which poses a significant threat to the environment and human health. The state faces several challenges in managing pesticide use effectively, with limited awareness among farmers and a lack of adequate training on the safe handling of chemicals. This misuse has led to widespread environmental degradation, including soil and water contamination, and has contributed to rising cases of pesticide poisoning among agricultural workers and local communities.

"Despite the growing recognition of these risks, the use of HHPs in Edo State persists due to their accessibility, affordability, and perceived effectiveness in pest control. This situation is exacerbated by a lack of adequate regulatory frameworks and monitoring systems to control the use of these toxic chemicals. Furthermore, there is a dearth of alternative pest management practices that are locally appropriate and sustainable, which could significantly reduce the state’s reliance on harmful pesticides.

Speaking about public health implications in HHP use, Dr. Aneni said "Farmers and pesticide applicators face direct exposure during mixing, spraying, and handling of toxic chemicals, often without adequate protective gear. Acute health effects commonly reported include headaches, dizziness, nausea, skin irritation, respiratory distress, and, in severe cases, fatalities.

"Repeated low-dose exposure over time has been associated with chronic health conditions such as cancers, neurological disorders, hormonal disruption, kidney and liver damage, and reproductive health problems. These outcomes reduce productivity, increase healthcare costs, and place long-term pressure on households and health systems.

"Chemical residues on food crops sold in local markets also pose significant food safety risks, exposing consumers, including children and pregnant women, to cumulative dietary exposure".

In the area of environmental and agricultural implications, SEDI boss said highly hazardous pesticides adversely affect non-target organisms, including pollinators, natural pest predators, birds, aquatic species, and soil organisms. He said the decline of these species weakens ecosystem services essential for crop production and resilience.

"The destruction of beneficial soil microorganisms disrupts nutrient cycling, reduces soil organic matter, and contributes to declining soil fertility. Over time, this increases dependence on external inputs and reduces yield stability.

"Runoff, leaching, and improper disposal of pesticides contaminate surface and groundwater sources, threatening aquatic ecosystems and community water supplies. Excessive pesticide use also accelerates pest resistance and resurgence, locking farmers into a cycle of escalating chemical use and rising production costs".

On the socio-economic implications, SEDI has it that the treatment of pesticide-related illnesses increases household and public healthcare expenditures, diverting resources from other development priorities. In addition, failure to meet food safety and residue standards limits access to premium domestic and international markets, particularly for export-oriented crops.

"Women and children are disproportionately affected, as women often participate in farm labor and produce trading, while children living near farms face increased exposure due to biological vulnerability and limited protection".

In suggesting ways for viable and sustainable alternatives to Highly Hazardous Pesticides, Dr. Aneni has this to say:  "Transitioning away from HHPs does not require sacrificing productivity. Instead, it involves adopting integrated and knowledge-based approaches that improve pest control while reducing risks.

"Integrated Pest Management emphasizes prevention, monitoring, and ecological balance, with chemical pesticides used only as a last resort. Biological control methods using natural predators, parasitoids, and microbial agents offer targeted pest suppression with minimal environmental impact.

"Cultural practices such as crop rotation, intercropping, timely planting, resistant varieties, and field sanitation reduce pest pressure and enhance system resilience. Mechanical and physical tools, including insect nets, pheromone traps, sticky traps, and hand-picking, are particularly effective in smallholder and vegetable systems.

"Botanical and low-toxicity pesticides derived from neem, garlic, pepper, and chrysanthemum degrade rapidly, reduce exposure risks, and offer opportunities for local production and enterprise development. Where chemical control is unavoidable, the use of lower-risk products combined with proper training and protective equipment significantly reduces harm".

SEDI gave the following Strategic Actions and Policy Recommendations:

Firstly, Regulatory and Policy Measures. It was recommended that the Edo State Government conducts a state-wide inventory of Highly Hazardous Pesticides to identify commonly used products, usage patterns, and high-risk areas. A phased and time-bound HHP phase-out plan should be developed, prioritizing substances that are internationally banned or restricted.

SEDI reiterated that strengthening market surveillance, licensing of agrochemical vendors, and enforcement of labeling and safety standards is essential. Incentives such as grants, procurement support, and tax relief should be introduced to promote safer alternatives and local biopesticide production.

Secondly, Capacity Building and Technical Support. SEDI emphasized that caling up farmer training through strengthened extension services and Farmer Field Schools across all senatorial districts is critical. Partnerships with academic institutions and research centers should be established to adapt pest management solutions to local crops and agro-ecological conditions.

Demonstration and learning farms should be developed to showcase profitable, HHP-free production systems and build farmer confidence in alternative approaches.

Furthermore,, Stakeholder Engagement and Implementation Pathways. SEDI recommended public awareness campaigns using radio, television, and community forums should educate farmers, traders, and consumers on pesticide risks and safer food production. A multi-stakeholder task force involving agriculture, environment, health, academia, farmer groups, and civil society organizations should be established to guide implementation.

Finally, Systems for the safe collection and disposal of obsolete pesticides and empty containers should be introduced to prevent environmental contamination and accidental reuse.