Recycling Firm cuts carbon emissions in Nigeria by 8,000 tonnes

An integrated waste recycling and manufacturing company, FREEE Recycle Limited, has reiterated the need to advance the nation’s circular economy growth, describing the transformation of Waste into value as the surest way to drive environmental sustainability for a low-carbon economy.

Speaking on the sidelines of the commemoration of its 5th anniversary in Lagos, the recycling company stated that it has recycled over 250,000 tyres, produced 660 metric tonnes of crumb rubber, and cut carbon emissions by more than 8,000 tonnes.

Beyond the milestones, the company stressed its efforts to creat jobs, build partnerships, and inspired sustainability of the nation’s circular economy growth.

The milestone event, held in Lagos, saw the company reflect on its five-year journey, reaffirming the need to transform waste into value and inspiring a culture of environmental responsibility across Africa.

The event, themed ‘From Waste to Heritage: Celebrating Five Years of Impact,’ also featured the unveiling of an art exhibition showcasing works from its maiden Art Residency Programme — a five-week creative residency themed ‘Echoes of Reclamation: Rebuilding Heritage from Waste.’

The residency trained artists from tertiary institutions across Nigeria to reimagine waste materials and create cultural value from discarded materials. It represents a key step in FREEE Recycle’s mission to transform Nigeria’s waste landscape by merging artistic creativity with sustainable, circular solutions.

The exhibition, which featured sculptures and mixed-media installations crafted from recycled tyre rubber, also served a philanthropic purpose. All proceeds from the exhibition will go toward providing school sandals to children in underserved communities through the FREEE Impact Foundation — extending the residency’s message of transformation from art spaces to classrooms across Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Ifedolapo Runsewe, the managing director of FREEE Recycle Limited, reflected on the company’s journey and reiterated its long-term vision.

She stated, “At FREEE, our journey began five years ago with a simple belief — that waste could be transformed into value and creativity could drive sustainability.

Recognising that recycling alone wasn’t enough, we developed our Integrated Recycling and Manufacturing (IRM) model, a zero-waste system that turns every part of a tyre into something useful. “

The next phase of FREEE’s journey will deepen our investments in innovation, community impact, and creative engagement — building a bridge between sustainability and culture that defines a new legacy for Africa.

Commending FREEE Recycle’s impact, Policy adviser, Economic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Officer, Netherlands Consulate in Lagos, Opeyemi Oriniowo highlighted the company’s role in advancing circular economy innovation and cross-sector collaboration in Nigeria. He noted that, “what we see here today is more than recycling — it is innovation, creativity, and purpose coming together. The work that FREEE Recycling is doing, turning waste tyres into new products, shows what’s possible when vision meets collaboration. “

Reflecting on the residency experience, one of the participating artists, Gift Akwajie, shared: ‘It was a truly wonderful experience.”

She said: “Sustainability and climate change are causes that are very close to my heart, and being part of this residency allowed me to explore them through art meaningfully. I’m deeply grateful to the faculty and Ifedolapo for giving us this opportunity — I would do it all over again.”