Unilever Nigeria said it achieved plastic neutrality in November 2024, meaning it has collected and processed more plastic from the environment than it has put into it through the sales and distribution of its products.
The firm in a statement said that it has been in partnership with Wecyclers since 2014 adding that as part of this partnership, new livelihoods for up to 1000 collectors have been created, providing much needed contribution to their household incomes.
Speaking on the plastic neutrality target achieved in 2024, The Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria, Tim Kleinebenne, said, “our vision is a world in which everyone works together to ensure that plastic stays in the economy and out of the environment. Our plastic is our responsibility and so we are committed to collecting back more than we sell, as part of our drive towards a circular economy.
“I am very pleased to share that Unilever Nigeria achieved plastic neutrality in 2024 and I sincerely hope that our example inspires more companies to join this important initiative. Moving forward, we will continue to double down our sustainability focus on plastic through our collection models to ensure we have a healthier planet and at the same time use our collection strategy to improve livelihoods by creating new job opportunities.”
While commenting on the neutrality achievement with Unilever Nigeria, chief executive officer of Wecyclers, Olawale Adebiyi, said, “Working with Unilever over the years has been a progressive journey of impact, collaboration and partnership. Through our partnership with Unilever Nigeria, we have now collected over 13,000 tons of plastic and created job opportunities for over a thousand people.”
Adebiyi further noted that through the years, Unilever Nigeria has invested in Wecyclers operations through different models of collections that include Wecyclers Recycling Exchange Programme, which is a model that facilitates the drop off of recyclable materials at various kiosk locations.
