Nigeria’s largest container terminal, APM Terminals Apapa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an indigenous firm, FREEE Recycle Limited, to recycle its used tyres.
In December 2021, APM Terminals Apapa carried out a successful trial by using pavement blocks produced out of recycled and compressed used tyres for exterior flooring.
Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony in Lagos, the Terminal Manager, APM Terminals Apapa, Steen Knudsen, said that the MoU was in furtherance of the company’s contribution to reducing the harmful effects of industrial wastes on the environment.
“We are reducing environmental footprint in Nigeria, and I am super excited we have FREEE Recycle Limited to partner with. We are recycling the tyres into materials that can be used in other parts of the supply chain.
“It is important to partner with companies that have different expertise to complement our efforts to ensure that together, we reduce the environmental footprint in our businesses.”
The report by Nigeria’s Ships & Ports, a specialized Maritime publication, on Wednesday said that the Procurement Manager of APM Terminals Apapa, Chinyere Adenaike, said that the leading terminal operator remained committed to sustainability and protection of the environment.
“We are committed to always taking constant care to ensure responsible operational practices that minimise, reduce and prevent negative environmental impact in the community. At the leadership level at Apapa, we have committed to a thorough review of our capital investments in equipment to ensure it is in line with our Maersk global ambition of zero CO2 Emission by 2040.
“The commitment is not just on equipment, we are also looking into the lifecycle of our rolling stock, from cradle to grave. We are happy to have partners who share our ambition towards environment, and a port authority that firmly supports these initiatives,” Adenaike said.
The report added that the Managing Director of FREEE Recycle Limited, Ifedolapo Runsewe, commended APM Terminals Apapa for taking the lead in reducing solid waste in the country and stated that the MoU will enhance a collaborative effort in recycling tyres into reusable products.
“This MoU will allow both parties to work together towards recycling of tyres, and we are excited that APM Terminals decided to take the forefront of this. We will be working with them for the next five years to ensure that all tyres generated within the facility are recycled into reusable products and re-used. We hope that more organisations will come onboard,” she said.
APM Terminals Apapa is the largest container terminal in Nigeria. With an investment of over $438 million in equipment, the terminal has continued to introduce new innovations to help both shipping lines and landside customers achieve improved supply chain efficiency, flexibility and dependability in a cost-effective manner.
GIK/APA