Nigeria generates roughly 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with less than 10% currently recycled. Nestlé Nigeria Plc is positioning itself at the center of efforts to reverse that trend, using industry collaboration, local entrepreneurship, and policy alignment to transform discarded plastic into economic and environmental value.
As part of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) — a coalition of major consumer goods companies — Nestlé is advancing Nigeria’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, which requires producers to manage the environmental footprint of their packaging throughout its lifecycle. Working with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the alliance has supported new waste collection and recycling models that integrate informal waste workers and small-scale aggregators into structured systems.
Nestlé’s approach reflects a growing shift in the private sector from ad hoc corporate social responsibility programs to measurable, circular economy initiatives. Since 2019, the company reports diverting over 61,000 tonnes of plastic from landfills through partnerships with social enterprises such as Chanja Datti, Wecyclers, and Maladase Ecopreneur Management Ltd. These organizations serve as intermediaries between waste pickers and recyclers, providing traceability, community engagement, and scale to the collection process.
The company’s Plastic Advantage Programme further embeds circularity by supporting 43 mini-aggregators with training, operational equipment, and financial incentives. This model not only extends collection networks across multiple states but also formalizes parts of the informal recycling sector — a critical step toward building resilience and stability in Nigeria’s waste value chain. By providing predictable income opportunities, Nestlé indirectly supports thousands of waste pickers who constitute the backbone of the country’s recycling ecosystem.
On the production side, Nestlé has taken steps to reduce the virgin plastic content of its packaging. Its Nestlé Pure Life Water now uses bottles made with 50% recycled PET (rPET) — the highest percentage permitted under Nigerian regulations. This aligns with the company’s global pledge to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, though progress remains contingent on local recycling infrastructure and regulatory clarity around post-consumer plastics.
Internally, Nestlé has also implemented an Employee Plastics Collection Scheme, encouraging staff participation through designated collection points across its offices and factories. The initiative has strengthened the company’s internal sustainability culture, while also contributing quantifiable volumes to its overall recovery targets.
However, the broader challenge extends beyond corporate boundaries. As Nestlé emphasizes, policy enforcement, public education, and waste management infrastructure remain weak points in Nigeria’s path toward circularity. The success of industry-driven initiatives like FBRA depends heavily on municipal support — particularly in the areas of waste segregation, transport logistics, and recycling market development.
By aligning business strategy with national sustainability goals, Nestlé is helping to shape the operational blueprint for Nigeria’s circular economy transition.
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