The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned against the illegal destruction and recycling of returnable packaging materials belonging to beverage companies following a recent police crackdown on illegal factories in Anambra State.
Earlier in February, the Nigeria Police Force, working with beverage manufacturers, reportedly raided several illegal facilities in Onitsha and surrounding areas where individuals allegedly destroyed returnable glass bottles and plastic crates belonging to beverage companies.
In a statement on Friday, MAN’s Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, condemned the practice, describing it as unauthorised and a form of economic sabotage against legitimate businesses.
“The recent raid is the outcome of sustained engagements and intelligence-led investigations and represents a decisive step by authorities to protect legitimate business operations, uphold environmental standards, and deter further illegal activity,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
He praised the efforts of the police and regulatory agencies in dismantling illegal operations involved in the destruction and unauthorised recycling of packaging materials.
Ajayi-Kadir stressed that returnable packaging materials such as glass bottles and plastic crates remain the property of beverage companies, which invest heavily in the materials as part of their sustainable packaging systems.
He described the illegal destruction of these materials as criminal, warning that it undermines companies’ environmental and operational strategies.
According to a report by Vanguard News, the Executive Secretary of the Beer Sectoral Group of MAN, Abiola Laseinde, also confirmed that the police action followed sustained engagements and intelligence-led investigations.
Ajayi-Kadir said member companies had reported that some factories were destroying company-owned bottles and crates to sell them as raw materials, causing losses worth millions of naira.
“The police, working with member companies, acted on credible intelligence and stormed the factories to crack down on illegal disposal, theft, and unauthorised recycling of the returnable packaging materials of the affected companies, notably returnable glass bottles and plastic crates,” he said.
He explained that the association had earlier petitioned relevant security and regulatory agencies and shared intelligence to help recover company assets and dismantle illegal recycling networks.
Investigations also revealed that large quantities of bottles and crates were diverted from legitimate distribution channels into informal recycling networks across the South-East region.
“Member companies identified multiple illegal locations in the South-East where they crush our bottles and crates for resale as raw materials, while police investigations showed that significant quantities were being diverted from legitimate channels into informal recycling networks,” Ajayi-Kadir added.
He noted that in several cases, reusable bottles were deliberately broken while plastic crates were shredded and sold, undermining the beverage industry’s circular packaging model.
“These Returnable Packaging Materials are company-owned assets designed for multiple reuse cycles and form a critical part of their sustainability, cost-efficiency, and product quality systems. It’s a criminal activity to destroy them,” he stated.
Ajayi-Kadir warned individuals involved in the illegal practice to desist, adding that MAN would continue working with law enforcement agencies to ensure offenders face the full weight of the law.
He also highlighted broader risks posed by the illegal activities, including disruption of supply chains, increased operational costs, and environmental hazards caused by unsafe recycling practices.
The association urged government agencies to intensify enforcement efforts against the illegal diversion and destruction of returnable packaging materials outside the beverage industry’s value chain.
MAN also called on members of the public to report suspicious activities to the police or to the consumer care lines of beverage companies.
