Nestlé unveils multi-stakeholder coalition to drive sustainable environmental action

Nestlé Nigeria has launched a multi-stakeholder coalition to drive sustained environmental action in commemoration of 2026 World Environment Day.

The programme will be delivered across 12 locations nationwide through community sensitisation and clean-up activities.

Building on six years of nationwide awareness and clean-up initiatives, the coalition represents a coordinated and systems-led approach that brings together government, regulators, industry, recyclers and development partners to advance circular economy outcomes.

Focused on advancing more sustainable and resilient communities, the initiative aims to reduce waste leakage, strengthen collection systems and scale circular solutions through collective action.

The initiative was supported by development partners, including the Swiss Consulate and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, implemented by the African Clean-Up Initiative, and amplified through a strategic media partnership with News Central.

“This initiative reflects a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, community development, and responsible environmental practices. It aligns with the Ministry’s mandate to drive climate action and environmental safety,” Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Olabimpe Adenaike, Controller, Lagos Field Office, Federal Ministry of Environment, stated.

The programme will support environmental awareness, strengthen waste recovery efforts and promote responsible waste management practices in participating communities, contributing to cleaner public spaces and reduced waste leakage into the environment.

“Waste management outcomes improve when intervention shifts from awareness alone to shared accountability across the value chain,” Victoria Uwadoka, lead corporate communications, corporate affairs and sustainability, Nestlé Nigeria, stated.

According to her, the coalition reinforces Nestlé Nigeria’s commitment to plastics neutrality and responsible packaging while supporting stronger waste recovery systems and deeper collaboration across the plastics value chain.

She added that it also demonstrates a scalable model for public-private collaboration in addressing environmental challenges.

“This coalition is designed to connect policy, infrastructure, community action, and market-based recovery systems in a way that can deliver more durable environmental results,” Uwadoka stated.

Over the past six years, Nestlé Nigeria has worked with partners across the value chain to strengthen plastic waste recovery and advance circular economy outcomes.

Since 2019, these collaborative efforts have helped recover more than 60,000 metric tons of plastic for recycling through partners such as Chanja Datti, Wecyclers, and MECOM, helping to divert significant volumes of plastic waste from the environment and back into productive use.

Internally, Nestlé Nigeria has also promoted responsible waste management through its Employee Plastics Collection Scheme, which has recovered more than 12,000kg of plastic since 2022, reinforcing employee engagement and encouraging positive behavioural change.

This coalition brings together key institutions across the plastics value chain, including the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, and the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), alongside industry platforms such as the National Plastics Action Partnership (NPAP), the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), the Circular Economy Innovation Partnership (CEIP), and the Recyclers Association of Nigeria (RAN).