Nigerian Recycling Company Wins 2014 Sustainability Award

Climate change has been a much-discussed topic around the world for a number of years now. In recent times, it seems there has been a concerted effort by the majority of nations to lessen the negative impact made on the planet’s natural resources. Recycling is now an everyday part of life for many citizens around the globe. There are many hi-tech innovations in place in terms of recycling solutions. However, it is often the simplest ideas which turn out to be the most successful.

The city of Lagos in Nigeria has never been traditionally thought of as a major recycler. Indeed, until recently the city was undergoing problems in other related areas too, namely in the collection of household waste. It has been estimated that, of all of the cumulated household waste in Lagos, only 40% is ever collected. The remainder is left to pile up in the streets.

An Innovative Solution to the Problem of Waste

The solution to this major problem has been refreshingly simple and, so far, exceedingly successful. Recycling company Wecyclers gives families living in the low-income communities of Lagos the opportunity of earning from their household waste collections. The company sends out a fleet of cargo bicycles into the communities to collect waste, which is then sent for recycling. By using a points-based system, Lagos households can exchange their household waste, such as plastic bottles, plastic bags and food cans, for various consumer goods. The use of bicycles to collect the waste also ensures that the air is not further polluted by vehicle exhaust fumes.

After sorting through the collections, Wecyclers then sell the waste on to companies who recycle it into various products such as bin bags, mattresses and pillows. Up to October 2014, over 5,000 households in Lagos had signed up to the Wecyclers collection program. The undoubted success has led to plans to expand the scheme to other cities in Nigeria.

Rewarded for Efforts in Sustainability

On November 10th 2014, Wecyclers were rewarded for their efforts when they were named as the winners of the Sustainia Award. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sustainia is a consultancy which champions sustainability around the world. Chaired by film legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 2014 Sustainia Awards celebrated ten innovative sustainable solutions employed in nations across the globe. However, after learning of the simple but effective solution employed by Wecyclers to the very real problems of waste management in Lagos, the committee were unanimous in choosing the Nigerian company as their main award winner.

With their innovative waste collection scheme in Lagos, Wecyclers have shown that sustainability solutions do not necessarily have to be hi-tech to prove successful. By involving the local community in the scheme. Wecyclers have also given a sense of purpose to the poorer citizens of the city, in addition to offering them the chance of earning from their efforts. It is a winning situation for all concerned and a much-needed boost for the environment.