— Over 5,600kg of waste cleared in sixth annual environmental initiative
Nestlé Nigeria has reaffirmed its environmental sustainability commitment by mobilizing over 500 employee volunteers in a nationwide clean-up and community awareness campaign held across 11 cities. The initiative, now in its sixth year, was conducted in collaboration with the African Clean-Up Initiative (ACI) and local government authorities.
The exercise saw 516 Nestlé Cares volunteers drawn from the company’s head office, regional branches, and manufacturing facilities, actively engage in waste collection and community sensitization in key urban markets known for high foot traffic and waste burden. These locations included Oke-Arin Market in Lagos, Utako Market in Abuja, Abubakar Rimi Market in Kano, and Mile 3 Market in Port Harcourt, among others.
In total, volunteers removed 5,601 kilograms of solid waste and 379.2 kilograms of recyclable materials from the selected locations. The clean-up campaign also featured direct engagements with traders, residents, and local authorities on best practices for waste management and plastic pollution reduction.
Speaking during the Lagos activation, Mrs. Victoria Uwadoka, Lead for Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability at Nestlé Nigeria, emphasized that the initiative aligns with this year’s World Environment Day theme: “Curbing Plastic Pollution.”
“At Nestlé, our commitment to tackling plastic waste is central to our vision of a waste-free future,” she said. “This includes not just internal accountability but also working with key stakeholders to promote circularity across the plastics value chain.”
Uwadoka noted that Nestlé Nigeria is working with partners including the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), Alef Recycling, Wecyclers, Chanja Datti, and Maladase Ecopreneurs Management Ltd. (MECOM) to enhance plastic waste recovery and recycling nationwide.
She also highlighted the company’s Employee Plastics Collection Scheme (EPCS), introduced in 2022, which enables Nestlé staff to recycle personal plastic waste. The scheme has diverted 5,922kg of plastic waste from landfills since inception. Cumulatively, Nestlé Nigeria has recovered over 61,000 metric tons of plastic waste from the environment since 2019.
Dr. Alex Akhigbe, Founder of the African Clean-Up Initiative, described the campaign as more than just a clean-up exercise.
“This is a sustainability movement rooted in collective responsibility and community action,” Akhigbe said. “Every plastic bottle recovered and every awareness session delivered contributes to shaping a culture of environmental consciousness.”
The campaign is part of the company’s broader Nestlé Cares platform, which empowers employees to engage in volunteer efforts that support social and environmental causes. According to the company, such initiatives are designed to foster long-term, community-driven impact while supporting Nigeria’s transition toward a more sustainable future.
As Nestlé Nigeria continues to scale its sustainability efforts, the annual clean-up campaign stands out as a key example of how corporate action can inspire environmental stewardship at the grassroots level.
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