DoGood.Africa, a registered non-profit social enterprise, in partnership with HB Imagino has been awarded a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) to improve the livelihood of 300 waste pickers and sorters in impoverished communities through economic empowerment under a recycling project titled “Waste to Wealth”.
The “Waste to Wealth” project is designed to contribute to several of the Sustainable Development Goals in a bid to support the hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, promote a greener environment and ultimately develop Nigeria as a whole.
The indiscriminate disposal of PET bottles continuously causes a menace to the environment and vastly affects the climate. DoGood.Africa, with the technical expertise provided by HB Imagino, is taking action by providing a cleaner environment, while also contributing to economic growth and most importantly tackling the adverse effects caused by indiscriminate disposal of the PET bottles.
“DoGood.Africa Foundation is proud to be involved yet again in another project that not only saves the environment but also adds economic value to members of the community, especially women in Africa”, Adewunmi Salami, Communications Lead at DoGood.Africa explained.
Organized to run for a year, the project is designed to recover over 500 tons of plastic waste at Source by leveraging technology to digitally track waste disposal through RFID waste bins to be installed at strategic high-volume consumption locations such as Hotels, Cafes, Quick Service Restaurants and Schools. The recovered plastic waste is subsequently recycled into food packaging materials.
With a pilot phase set to kick off within the Lekki axis of Lagos State, the project seeks to build momentum to scale this model across Africa in partnership with relevant stakeholders in the waste management value chain. The project will leverage the talent and labor of community members, especially women, thus creating jobs and financial inclusion for many.
In a statement, Harold Okonoboh, Managing Director of HB Image Innovation remarked, “We are extremely elated to be a part of the Waste to Wealth project primarily because it will revolutionize the way plastic waste is recovered in Nigeria. For the first time in Nigeria, PET bottles will be recovered from the source and converted into food packaging. This grant from TCCF will also help us facilitate a project that will impact the community tremendously through the provision of jobs and the protection of our environment”.
Since its inception in 1984, TCCF has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support global sustainable community initiatives.
Speaking on this development, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, the Head, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability for Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, explained, “TCCF is committed to addressing the needs of the communities in Nigeria where we operate. We are proud to support DoGood.Africa in partnership with HB Imagino to create the type of change needed to improve people’s lives, build sustainable communities and enhance our environment for future generations”.
DoGood Africa has served nearly 10 different communities across Nigeria since its launch in August 2019 and has since been committed to impacting lives one project at a time. While it focuses on ensuring projects are sustainable and empathetically alleviate poverty, the Waste to Wealth project is one of many that will be impactful to communities.
