Green design or multiple re-useable product packaging as regards solid waste in selected areas in Awka Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

This study enumerates how product packaging amount to solid wastes among other Awka MSW constituents with the view to unfold green design or multiple re-useable product packaging as achievable means of minimizing solid waste in Awka Metropolis, Nigeria. Perhaps, there are locations with well managed or minimized packaging waste; accordingly, this study includes the review of some literatures on Awka MSW so as to note the extent of studies that have been published and made available in trendy media. Thus, the study is descriptive, literature-based and naturalistic observation -based in terms of estimated counting during the visitation to the selected areas. The findings reveal that studies on solid waste characterization, health, perception, behaviour of the populace in relation to solid waste and sustainability are ubiquitous. Still, the aspect of product packaging waste in the Awka metropolis has not been extensively studied; thus, present study fills this gap by aiming at unfolding green design or multiple re-useable product packaging as achievable means of minimizing solid waste in Awka Metropolis, Nigeria. However, this study in concord with prior studies shows that the product package among other solid waste occurs in a similar way in residential locations except other locations such as markets, schools, hospitals, municipal and industrial areas which have more of the litters of non-green packaging materials. Example is the plastic package with the largest quantity of generated solid waste within selected location in relation to other solid waste. Thus, the policy approach under which producers are given significant responsibility for waste prevention/diversion of post-consumer products should be ongoing through Private - Public Sector Partnerships (PPP) harmonized with EPR. This can be done by enhancing the concern of everybody (manufactures, consumers, organizations and other entrepreneurs including waste pickers/scavengers). Situation where by producers persuade the consumers through gainful or attractive means to return used product packages can be encouraged. Thus, the present study unfolds green design or multiple reuses of product packages as a means of attaining zero waste in Awka metropolis.