Context
Nigeria ranks among the top ten global plastic waste polluters, facing a growing environmental crisis. Each year, the country generates an estimated 32 million metric tons of waste, including an estimated 2.5 million metric tons of plactic, much of which ends up in waterways, streets, and informal dumpsites. Lagos alone produces approximately 13,000 – 15,000 metric tons of solid waste daily.
This environmental challenge disproportionately impacts low-income communities, where inadequate waste management systems contribute to frequent flooding, serious health risks, and missed economic opportunities. At the same time, Nigeria’s informal recycling sector employs thousands of waste pickers and aggregators, most of whom operate without formal business structures or stable income.
Without strategic intervention, unmanaged plastic waste will continue to pose serious threats to the environment, public health, and local ecosystems.
Opportunity
The Plastics Recycling Program in Southern Nigeria turns an environmental challenge into an economic opportunity. By tackling plastic pollution, the program seeks to reduce health and environmental risks while strengthening Nigeria’s recycling economy.
Through sustainable waste management interventions, the project supports the formalization and growth of collectors, aggregators, and recyclers. By building their capacity, the initiative promotes economic growth, drives innovation in the recycling sector, and advances a circular economy, paving the way for cleaner communities and a more resilient, sustainable future.
The strategy
Operating in Lagos and Anambra—two of Nigeria’s highest waste-generating regions—the Plastics Recycling Program tailors its interventions to local needs. The strategy focuses on transforming informal waste collection into structured, profitable enterprises by building a formalized network of collectors and aggregators.
The program follows a three-tiered approach:
- Community Engagement: Training Local Community Trainers (LCTs) to promote behavior change, raise awareness on plastic waste management, and support aggregators in formalizing their operations through government registration and capacity building.
- Market Linkages: Connecting aggregators directly with plastic recyclers and introducing transparent, performance-based payment models for collectors, ensuring immediate and tangible economic benefits.
- Enterprise Support: Providing technical training, business development services, working capital, and equipment—including trucks, balers, weighing scales, and PPE—to improve operational capacity and safety.
The program places a strong emphasis on women and youth, creating inclusive opportunities across the plastic waste value chain. By serving as the critical link between collectors, aggregators, and recyclers, the initiative creates a more efficient and productive recycling ecosystem. Partnerships with government agencies and environmental organizations further ensure regulatory alignment and the long-term sustainability of the project’s impact.
Results
The project has achieved significant results during its initial implementation period:
- Established a network of 51 aggregators and 9,510 collectors across Lagos and Anambra.
- Diverted 19,511 metric tons of plastic waste from the environment into productive economic use.
- Supported business formalization, enabling many aggregators to register with government authorities and gain access to formal financial services.
- Provided working capital and essential equipment—including trucks, balers, weighing scales, and PPE—to improve operations and safety standards.
- Leveraged the Local Community Trainers model to drive behavioral change and create sustainable income for community leaders.
- Increased community awareness of the economic value of plastic waste, resulting in improved collection rates and reduced environmental pollution.
Strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Recyclers Association of Nigeria, Lagos Recyclers Association, Anambra State Waste Recyclers Association (ASWRA), Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria (WAPAN), and government agencies like the Anambra State Ministry of Environment and the Lagos State Waste Management Authority have strengthened the program’s reach and ensured alignment with national environmental priorities.
Partners
Funder: Coca-Cola Foundation
