Textile and clothing industry (T&C) is the second largest industry in the manufacturing sector. Currently, the industry operates on a linear model. Its value-chain is associated with several problems such as environment pollution (solid wastes, effluent discharges, air pollution, and emission of greenhouse gases), and resources extraction and depletion (raw materials, water, energy). These problems present the challenges that are addressed in this paper. These problems are further exacerbated by the rapid growth in population and attendant need for economic growth. There is therefore need to begin to address how to make the industry more sustainable. This will entail reviewing the entire T&C value chain from raw material extraction to post-consumption of its products. Nigeria, an emerging economy is used as a proxy for the study. The management of textile/clothing wastes in Nigeria does not follow best practices, as the wastes are generally, disposed at dumpsites. Even though Nigeria is rich in natural resources to produce textiles, the country largely depends on importation of finished T&C goods. This paper uses three models namely: new business model, efficient waste management system, and regenerative production processes and materials to demonstrate how the industry can become more sustainable. This effort will focus on reuse and recycling of textile and clothing products. Emphasis is built on eco-design to encourage proper waste management system to support recovery, reprocessing, reuse, and recycling of textile and clothing products.
Linear economy principles still dominates production and consumption model across the globe. However, the pursuit and implementation of circular economy model is growing. This model shift is sustained by the global movement towards the concept of sustainable development. Nigeria, a developing country has a very poor waste management system. This paper review discussed challenges and opportunities offered by post-consumer management of end-of-life tyres in Nigeria. End-of-life tyres (ELTs) cause a multi-faceted problem in Nigeria. They are issues with human health (abattoirs, breeding ground for mosquitoes, emissions, etc) and issues with the environment (linear economy, unrecovered resource, air pollution and contaminated land from abattoirs). These two factors form the underlying challenge which the paper addressed. Currently, the management of ELTs in Nigeria has serious negative ecological implications. It takes more than a century for a tyre to biodegrade, occupies much space in dumpsite, is highly flammable, and is generated annually in large volume. The use of tyre in roasting of meat is a common practice in abattoirs across Nigeria. It has led to elevated levels of heavy metals in meat. Therefore, the need for a sustainable approach. Socioeconomic limitations, scarcity of progressive environmental policy, technical and institutional incapacity have severely limited implementation of proper waste management system which is critical for operationalized circular economy. The paper also discussed potential directions on the application of CE model in ELT management, including policy and legislation. Factors unique to Nigeria supports the proposed integration of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and the free market system as the appropriate circular management approach of end-of-life tyres for the country. The study recommends formation of a producer responsibility organization nationally. However, for effective logistics, regionalization of the collection / processing facilities will foster competition and drive innovation in the post- consumer tyre management.
The next transformation in human civilization is occurring in the energy sector. The transition is supported mostly by concern for environmental safety (climate change). Other factors such as energy security and economics also dictate the shift. The transition will be more disruptive to oil-exporting economies such as Nigeria, which depend heavily on it for economic growth. Historical inferences from past energy transitions reveals that discovery and massive acceleration of new energy resources alters mode of production, energy consumption, economic innovation and unlocks multiplier effects on the society. Technology and availability of energy resources is the critical enabler of past transitions. Renewable energy technologies are becoming more cost-competitive relative to fossil fuels. The increasing transition will have serious socioeconomic and political implications, if the country does not diversify its economy. For example, contraction in oil export because of global transition to renewable energy will reduce Nigeria government's revenue, increase unemployment, decrease capacity to finance infrastructure and development projects, and increase poverty rate. Nigeria has enormous renewable energy potential—solar, wind, biomass, etc. The use of renewables will improve environmental quality. For example, increased use of biomass (organic wastes) for energy production will advance Nigeria solid waste management system and vice versa. All these are associated with sustainable resource management.
Nigeria is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change (CC) impact. Thus, there is a need to mitigate emission and implement strategies to adapt to the impacts of CC. This study is a review of publications on CC mitigation and/or adaptation in Nigeria. The aims are as follows: to identify commonly adopted climate change adaptation strategies (CCAS) and their determinants; and to identify the climate change mitigation strategies (CCMS) that are widely deployed to reduce emissions in Nigeria. Relevant keywords were used to search for publications in Scopus and Google Scholar. Our dataset shows that from 1999 to the present, there has been an exponential growth in the number of publications on CCAS and CCMS. In total, 75.2% of the papers were on CCAS, 19.6% were on CCMS and 5.2% combined CCAS and CCMS. Many of the papers on CCMS were on ‘Energy’ and ‘Agriculture’. Other sectors identified from the included studies pertinent to mitigation in Nigeria included ‘forestry’, ‘waste management’, ‘industry’ and others. Most (80.7%) of the CCAS papers were related to ‘Agriculture’, showing the most important sector where CC-adaptive capacity is required in Nigeria. In all, 45% of the papers on CCAS were on ‘Social’ adaptation, followed by ‘Structural measures’ (42%), with the smallest amount being on ‘Institutional’ measures (13%). The relatively fewer number of papers on institutional CCAS highlights the need for more research. This is because institutional measures which include policies, legal and fiscal support are important to build resilience to climate change impact. The greatest determinant influencing the adoption of CCAS is ‘Education’. A higher number of publications on ‘Agriculture’ for both CCMS and CCAS underscores the importance of the sector and the need to develop its mitigation and adaptive capacity strategies. Our results and findings were also compared and discussed in line with similar works on CCMS and CCAS in Africa.
1 January 2023 in Clean Technologies and Recycling
The issue of climate change and management of municipal solid waste (MSW) necessitates transition to renewable energy, including bioenergy. This work assessed energy production from organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) in the thirty-six state capitals and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. Secondary research method (qualitative and quantitative analysis) was adopted. The four valorization methods considered were incineration, anaerobic digestion (AD), landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) and densification. MSW and OFMSW generation rate (kg/cap/day) for the thirty-six state capitals and the FCT, Abuja were obtained. The paper estimated that about 4.7 million tons per year (TPY) of OFMSW is generated in the 37 cities. Daily OFMSW generation ranges from 10416 tons per year (TPY) in Damaturu, to 1.6 million TPY in Lagos. The estimates show that about 1.82 billion Nm3 of biogas could be obtained from anaerobic digestion (AD) of OFMSW generated in the cities each year; about 984 Gg (1085688 tons) of methane can be recovered from the landfill gas technology, while drying and densification will produce about 1.82 million tons of solid fuel. Based on secondary sources, the cost per ton waste and emissions (kg/ton) processed were also presented.