When Waste Becomes Wealth: The Emerging Green Economy in Lagos
Lagos is beginning to rethink what it means to call something “waste.” Plastic, aluminium, textiles, organic materials and even electronic components are increasingly finding their way into recycling and reuse
Lagos, a city grappling with rising waste volumes, is embracing a circular economy that transforms discarded materials into valuable resources. This shift away from traditional waste disposal is creating jobs and economic opportunities. The phenomenon of waste becoming wealth is being driven by the principle of reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Recycling companies in Lagos have grown from just three to 78, creating over 6,000 jobs. Additionally, 590 jobs have been created in marine-waste clean-up activities. The transition to a circular economy involves viewing discarded materials as raw materials rather than waste, with potential for manufacturing, processing, and livelihood creation.
One example is the partnership between LAWMA, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, and the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, which aims to strengthen sustainable plastic-value chains and create collection facilities and points. Textile waste, accounting for eight percent of Lagos's waste stream, is also being targeted for diversion from landfills and upcycling initiatives.
The state has even established a concession arrangement to process 4,000 tonnes of municipal waste daily, with a focus on compost, recyclable materials, waste-to-energy, and electronic-waste initiatives. However, successful implementation requires households to separate waste, businesses to participate, manufacturers to assume responsibility for packaging, recyclers to have reliable volumes, and collection systems to distinguish recyclable material from general refuse.
Ultimately, the goal is to shift from viewing waste as worthless to recognizing the economic potential within discarded materials.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
