Circularity Africa, a sustainability, climate, and environmental organisation, has empowered 145 waste recovery officers to mark the 2026 World Recycling Day.
The Founder and Managing Director of the group, Mr Seunfunmi Ogungbure, said on Wednesday during the handover of recycling equipment that the initiative would tackle plastic pollution in Lagos State.
Ogungbure said the empowerment of waste material recovery officers was aimed at preventing marine litter, plastic pollution, and plastic waste from entering water bodies.
“Today, we are distributing recycling equipment to 145 material recovery officers who are members of the communities we serve.
“As part of efforts to reach underserved and unreached communities, we are setting up about 54 new community recycling collection clusters in local government areas across Nigeria.
“The idea is to create a system that addresses critical issues confronting communities, such as economic challenges and perceptions about waste, which are influenced by their financial capacity.
“People often ask why they should pay to dispose of waste when they struggle to feed themselves. Waste management becomes secondary or is ignored entirely.
“Hence, our recycling initiative provides an opportunity to address both economic needs and waste management challenges,” Ogungbure said.
He said the initiative is being implemented in partnership with the German Federal Ministry of Environment and Nuclear Safety.
He added that the project focuses on preventing marine litter and plastic waste from entering water bodies.
“We are working in Calabar and Lagos State. In Lagos, we are focusing on Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area because it borders the Atlantic Ocean.
“Waste that enters canals from areas such as Tin Can Port and the Nigerian Ports Authority flows directly into the ocean.
“Our goal is to intercept and manage waste before it reaches the canals and eventually the ocean.
“The project provides community recycling clusters, consisting of kiosks that serve as collection points, managed by the material recovery officers we are empowering,” he said.
World Recycling Day, celebrated annually on March 18, promotes the importance of recycling to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, and combat climate change.
The day also aims to change the global mindset to view waste as a valuable resource by encouraging the 3Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—and highlighting the role of recycling in a circular economy.
Circularity Africa provides raw material sourcing for recycling and manufacturing companies. It also manages ESG projects and programmes, and produces sustainability reports for businesses.
The organisation builds systems in local, underserved, and unreached communities to address waste management challenges, promoting behavioural change, particularly in post-consumption waste handling.
