APEC Kolath stores waste both on and off site in unsecured areas. The on-site waste area is next to the residential blocks. Rats are frequently seen in the area. Local children are frequently seen around this waste storage area which the company assume is because they are looking for waste that they can steal and sell. The children are blamed if the waste spreads beyond the storage area creating litter in the local area. 

Figure 1: On-site waste storage area 

Figure 2: Local child seen on site 

Waste stored on-site includes unusable plastic resins and components, waste from the offices and residential blocks including plastic, cardboard and textile packaging waste, waste paper, food waste, etc etc. APEC Kolath have a contract ail a local waste contractor for waste disposal. However, since February 2018 on-site waste has not been collected because of a dispute with the waste collector. Instead workers have been instructed to burn it. This is stored and burnt next to the residential blocks. 

Oil and solvent waste is collected in barrels and stored in the raw materials storage area, along with expended fluorescent tubes, until sufficient has built up to become a nuisance. This is then removed from the site by workers on the night shift. There are no records of where this goes. Local residents fear the barrels are being disposed of in the lagoon along with the waste water discharged there. 

Figure 3: Waste oil and solvent storage. 

APEC Kolath also store waste off-site, and a local company comes and removes it for them when contracted to do so (infrequent collections are made). The final destination is unknown although Hans Gustafson has suggested that they sell it on. APEC Kolath pay for an ad hoc single waste collection. There is usually too much waste for the local waste collector to take in the single collection so they have a backlog. 

Figure 4: Off-site waste store 

Figure 4: Waste oil, paint and solvent containers 

Some used oil drums and solvent drums are sent to Nigeria for disposal. APEC Kolath pays a local contractor to remove the waste. The contractor does not provide invoices or waste transfer receipts. 

Figure 5: Waste oil drums to be collected by contractor for disposal in Nigeria 

There is concern within the company that other local companies and individuals are dumping their waste in APEC Kolath’s waste sites and they are paying for its disposal. 

Not all of it is the waste present is owned by APEC Kolath; they have accepted and stored used chemical drums from Vonatis Pharmaceuticals on occasions, since April 2017. Although Vonatis Pharmaceuticals, are now shipping their waste chemical drums to Nigeria, APEC Kolath still have a stock of their waste drums in their off-site storage area. 

Recyclable cardboard is sold to a local dealer and taken there by workers when a suitable amount is available. 

Figure 6: Workers moving cardboard to dealer 

Approximately 10% of the metal inserts are discarded as waste. These are sometimes collected and recycled on demand by a subcontractor. The remainder are sold are scrap metal. 

There are no records kept of content or volume of waste and its final disposal site is unknown. Some of it may be sold on. APEC Kolath haven’t calculated the total weight of waste, although they don’t have records that any is exported.