The $94,000 in funding from the Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) to DoGood Africa will support the activities of plastic waste collectors in Nigeria. A total of 300 jobs will be created by the Nigerian organisation through its “Waste to Wealth” project.
The initiative aims to collect 500 tonnes of waste in its one-year pilot phase. This waste, mainly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, will then be transformed into food packaging and sold to the population. DoGood Africa will implement the project in partnership with HB Imagino, a management and logistics consultancy based in Lagos State, Nigeria. DoGood Africa plans to start collecting plastic waste on the Lekki axis in Lagos State.
Reducing plastic pollution
By funding the Waste to Wealth initiative, soft drink giant Coca-Cola, through its foundation, aims to reduce its impact on the environment in Nigeria by recycling plastic waste. Currently, the West African country generates some 32 million tonnes of waste per year (2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste), most of which (70%) ends up in landfills, sewers, beaches and water bodies.
The soft drink company supports plastic waste collection in other African countries, including Uganda where it recently allocated $30,000 to Care and Assistance for Forced Migrants (CAFOMI). The funds are earmarked for the implementation of a plastic waste collection programme. The initiative will benefit 833 households.
Inès Magoum