The Environmental Problems of Bottling Company: An Example of 7 up Bottling Co. Plc. at the 9th Mile Area of Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aimed at the identification of the environmental problems caused by the 7 Up Bottling Co. Plc. at the 9^th Mile area of Enugu state, Nigeria in order to determine the problems from the plant, types of wastes and waste disposal or management methods adopted by the industrial plant in the area. Purposive sampling technique was used and samples were drawn from managers and staff members of the plant, traders, households, and staff members of Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) at the 9^th Mile area in the ratio of 3, 10, 4, 220, and 5respondents respectively. Thus, 278 respondents formed the study population. The variation in the size of samples selected from each group is in line with the differences in their populations, and those who accepted and willingly attend to the researchers. The data were collected through the combined methods of questionnaire, interview, and field observation, while the collected data were analysed using descriptive statistic, percentage, and bar graph. The results of the analyses show that noise pollution (32.73%), water pollution (31.65%), traffic congestion (15.47%), land degradation (11.16%), and indiscriminate waste disposal (8.99%) are the environmental problems from 7 Up Bottling Co. Plc. at the 9^th Mile area. A comparative result of all the waste materials reveals that broken bottle is the most frequent and commonest with 18. 7%, while metal material formed the least of all the wastes with 1.9%. Also, found is the waste disposal/management strategies adopted by the plant which include deposition of wastes especially waste water into Ajali River (23.7%), burning (22.7%), land filling (19.1%), recycling (17.9%), and deposition on open land space (16.6%). From these results, it is recommended for the carriers of industrial policy on environmental issues to strictly monitor the activities of the industrial plant, and impose heavy fine on the plant whenever waste materials are found in any form on the available land spaces or underneath, and along the waterways in the area.