Nestlé recovers 60,000 tonnes of plastic, launches bigger national waste alliance

Nestlé Nigeria said it has recovered more than 60,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste since 2019 and has now launched a broad coalition of government agencies, regulators, recyclers and development partners to strengthen waste recovery and accelerate the country’s transition to a circular economy.

The food and beverage company announced the initiative as part of activities marking the 2026 World Environment Day, signalling a shift from awareness campaigns and clean-up exercises to a more coordinated approach aimed at tackling Nigeria’s growing waste management challenge.

The new alliance will operate across 12 locations nationwide, carrying out community sensitisation programmes and clean-up activities while promoting recycling, waste collection and responsible waste disposal.

Read also: Nestlé Summit tackles Nigeria’s child malnutrition crisis 

The coalition brings together key public and private sector players, including the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), recyclers and industry groups.

Speaking at the launch, Victoria Uwadoka, lead corporate communications, corporate affairs and sustainability at Nestlé Nigeria, said lasting environmental progress requires collaboration across the entire value chain.

“Waste management outcomes improve when intervention shifts from awareness alone to shared accountability across the value chain. 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.

Nigeria generates millions of tonnes of waste annually, with plastic pollution becoming a growing concern in cities and waterways. While recycling activities have expanded in recent years, industry experts say collection systems remain weak and large volumes of plastic still end up in drains, rivers and open dumpsites.

Nestlé said its partnerships with recycling firms, including Chanja Datti, Wecyclers and MECOM, have helped recover over 60,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste for recycling over the past six years. The company also disclosed that its internal Employee Plastics Collection Scheme has recovered more than 12,000 kilograms of plastic since 2022.

The significance of the new initiative lies in its effort to bring together regulators, waste managers, recyclers, manufacturers and development partners under a single platform. Such collaboration could help improve waste collection rates, create jobs in the recycling value chain and reduce environmental pollution.

The initiative is supported by international partners including the Swiss Consulate and the Kingdom of the Netherlands and will be implemented by the African Clean-Up Initiative.

Read also: Nestlé’s N6bn skills bet pays off as 98% job rate exposes gap in Nigeria’s broken vocational pipeline

Representing the minister of Environment, Mrs. Olabimpe Adenaike, controller, Lagos field office, Federal Ministry of Environment, stated “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.

“We commend Nestlé Nigeria and its partners for advancing environmental awareness, waste reduction, and climate resilience through collaborative action. We encourage all Nigerians to support proper waste management, recycling, and sustainable living as we work together toward a cleaner, greener, and healthier nation.”

This coalition represents a maturing strategy in corporate environmental responsibility in Nigeria. Moving from one-off clean-ups to a systems-level approach that includes policy makers, regulators, and private recyclers addresses a core challenge in many developing economies, weak waste infrastructure.

If successful, the model could show how large companies can help build resilient waste management systems that benefit both the environment and local economies through job creation in collection and recycling.

The initiative reinforces Nestlé Nigeria’s broader commitment to plastics neutrality and responsible packaging while demonstrating practical public-private partnership in solving one of Nigeria’s most visible environmental problems.