LOOPLab Incubation Programme, an offshoot of the Circular Lagos Project, has organised a ‘Waste Value Chain Tour’ and exhibition at the Kids Beach Garden in Oniru, Lagos, to project how circular economy innovators transform waste into wealth.
According to a statement, present at the tour were innovators in the incubation programme and guest exhibitors who showcased how the different players in the waste value chain build on each other’s output.
The LOOPLab Innovators include Bukola Farinde of Promise Point Ltd, a circular business that makes animal feed from recycled cassava, Adebayo Babatunde Rasheed of Eco Circular Solutions Provider Ltd, makers of eco-friendly ceiling tiles from paper waste, Joshua Attah of Lyvin, creators of crates for rearing insects from plastic waste while protecting the environment and these endangered insects from extinction.
Others are Taiwo Adewole of WasteXchange, Doyinsola Ogunye of Recycling Scheme for Women and Youth (RESWAYE), Odemwingie Osarode of Rodelenz, Sunday Kolawole Sholanke and Gbenga Olasehinde who are utilising their technical skills to create applications to facilitate waste collection in their respective organisations and Godswill Ideh of the Alterdross Systems Ltd, who specialize in transforming organic waste matter to electricity and other forms of energy.
“The Circular Lagos LOOPLab is a collaboration of value-adding partners. An African adage says if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others. This encapsulates what the Waste Value Chain Tour depicts,” said Sarah Ogbewey, programs manager, Circular Economy Innovation Partnership.
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In addition, Coca-Cola and the Growing Businesses Foundation are some of the sponsors of LOOPLab as the total beverages company seeks to recover 10,000 metric tons of PET bottles from the environment and recycle them into other bottles or other products.
Furthermore, the size of the waste management challenge in Lagos alone is estimated at 15,000 metric tons of waste produced each day, a volume that the existing infrastructure in Lagos State was not designed to manage.
However, to deal with this, the Lagos State government initiated the Circular Lagos Project in collaboration with the Circular Economy Innovation Partnership (CEIP) in December 2020.
“The Waste Value Chain Tour 2022 brought me in close contact with individuals who are passionate about the circular economy, it has allowed me to re-evaluate my stance on creating value from waste and changing the mindsets of people I get to meet in my home City, Benin City,” Odemwingie Osarode, lead researcher, Rodelenz Industries said.
“Circular businesses not only provide innovative solutions to these problems but, while at it, reap monetary benefits as a result of solutions provided, stimulate local economic growth and create meaningful job opportunities,” the statement said.
LOOPLab’s ultimate goal is to support start-ups to receive relevant funding and professional support for the business plans they develop in the circular economy innovators incubation programme.
