Assessing the Influence of Waste Recycling on Cost Reduction in Manufacturing Firms in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of waste recycling on cost reduction in manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. From a purposively selected population of 220 workers from 10 different manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, a sample size of 140 was used for the study. This was gotten by calculating the population at 95% confidence level and 5% error margin using Roger Wimmer online sample size calculator. The instrument used to collect data for the study was a closed-ended questionnaire with a four-point Likert scale. The study utilized Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) in Scientific Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) package to analyze the data collected. The study found that measure by the indicators of both variables reveals that there is a positive correlation between waste recycling and cost reduction in manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. This finding implies that waste recycling if done properly, helps manufacturing firms to enjoy an improved corporation image within their environment of operation, develop new market segments, expand into new markets, and maximize benefits in terms of cost reduction. Hence, the study recommended that manufacturing firms operating in Nigeria should make effective use of waste (original environmental pressures) by recycling them and turning them into avenues of cost reduction and competitive advantage.