Plastic Waste Challenges in Nigeria: A Review on Pollution, Sorting, and Recycling Approaches

• Chioma I. MADUEKE

  Author

• Audu YEMI

  Author

• Joseph M. ABIDEMI

  Author

• Eberechukwu C. DIM

  Author

Plastic waste has become one of the most persistent environmental challenges in Nigeria, rather driven by continuous growth in  population, urbanization, industrialization, increasing consumption of packaged goods, and inadequate waste-management infrastructure The widespread use of plastics has become an integral part of modern life, with applications spanning household products, packaging materials, electrical and electronic appliances, structural components, medical devices, and advanced scientific equipment. In Nigeria, plastic consumption has increased substantially without a corresponding improvement in the collection, treatment, and disposal of the resulting waste. The problem is particularly pronounced in major commercial centers such as Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Aba in Abia State, Onitsha in Anambra State, and other densely populated commercial areas across the country. Common plastic wastes include polyethylene bags, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sachets used for packaged water, polystyrene disposable food containers and cutlery, polypropylene products such as broken chairs, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) shrink wraps, and numerous other materials belonging to the polymer family. The indiscriminate disposal of these materials has created serious environmental challenges in many communities. Plastic waste often accumulates in streets and drainage channels, obstructing water flow and providing suitable breeding grounds for mosquitoes, thereby contributing to environmental and public-health concerns. This article examines the environmental and ecological hazards associated with plastic waste and reviews both immediate and long-term strategies for reducing plastic pollution, highlighting sustainable approaches for improving waste management, safeguarding the environment, and protecting the lives of plants and animals. This review is more of a narrative review than other types, as this work mostly dwells on discussions on plastic pollution, sources, sorting, recycling, environmental impacts, economic value and recycling approaches by selecting relevant studies and discussing them systematically with findings synthesized qualitatively and research gaps highlighted.

• 73_Madueke et al. (2026)

Copyright (c) 2026 Chioma I. MADUEKE, Audu YEMI, Joseph M. ABIDEMI, Eberechukwu C. DIM (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.