BY OLA MODUPE, Lagos-
Nestlé Nigeria Plc has marked World Environment Day with a nationwide clean-up and sensitisation campaign, reaffirming its commitment to environmental sustainability.
The initiative, held in 11 cities across Nigeria, aimed to tackle plastic pollution and promote community-based waste management efforts.
*Clean-Up Efforts*
According to Dr. Alex Akhigbe, founder of the African Clean-Up Initiative, the campaign resulted in the removal of 5,601 kilogrammes of solid waste and 379.2 kilogrammes of recyclable waste.
“The clean-up activities targeted major market areas with high levels of foot traffic and waste generation,” Akhigbe was quoted as saying in a statement by the Lead for Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability, Mrs Victoria Uwadoka, on Monday in Lagos.
He said the initiative was carried out in collaboration with local government partners and other stakeholders.
Akhigbe highlighted Nestlé’s commitment to tackling plastic waste, citing the company’s Employee Plastics Collection Scheme, which has diverted over 5,900 kilogrammes of plastic waste from landfills since 2022.
Akhigbe emphasized the importance of collaboration in advancing environmental sustainability.
“This goes beyond clean-up. It’s about instilling a culture of environmental responsibility and building a circular economy,” he said.
“Every piece of plastic removed, every engagement made, is a step toward protecting our planet.”
The company’s employee volunteering programme, Nestlé Cares, empowers employees to make a positive impact in their local communities through community service projects.
Akhigbe noted that Nestlé’s initiatives have retrieved over 61,000 metric tonnes of plastic from the environment since 2019.
