Rite Foods Limited and the Ogun State Government are intensifying efforts to shift waste management away from the traditional “collect-and-dispose” model towards recycling and resource recovery, as the company targets zero waste to landfill by 2030.

The commitment was highlighted during Rite Foods’ World Cleanup Day initiative, organised in partnership with the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA), where 600 coveralls were distributed to street sweepers. About 30 per cent of the materials used to make the protective clothing were sourced from waste generated by Rite Foods.

The materials included labels from the company’s sausage and beverage products, demonstrating how industrial waste can be converted into useful products while supporting environmental sanitation and economic value creation.

The Head, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Rite Foods Limited, Ekuma Eze, said the initiative showed how circular economy principles could be applied while recognising the role of street sweepers in maintaining a clean environment.

“We want to drive the message of circularity home. Nothing should be wasted,” Eze said.

He explained that Rite Foods was committed to ensuring that waste from its operations was reused, repurposed or recycled instead of being disposed of in landfills.

“We believe that by 2030, we should have achieved zero waste to landfill. None of the waste we generate from our operations should end up in landfills. All of it should be useful, repurposed, reused or recycled,” he said.

According to Eze, the initiative also formed part of Rite Foods’ responsibility to its host community. He added that the company’s partnership with OGWAMA would continue for as long as Rite Foods remained in operation.

He also recalled that Rite Foods had previously distributed school bags produced from recycled waste materials to pupils as part of its environmental sustainability efforts.

The Special Adviser on Environment to the Ogun State Governor and Managing Director, OGWAMA, Farouk Akintunde Adeniyi, commended Rite Foods for contributing to the state’s waste management efforts.

Adeniyi said government could not independently bear the responsibility of maintaining a clean and healthy environment, calling on businesses, communities and residents to play a greater role.

“This is a challenge to other corporate organisations across Ogun State to support the government. The effort to ensure a conducive environment is not the responsibility of government alone. It is a collective responsibility involving the government, organisations and all citizens of Ogun State,” he said.

He further urged residents to obey environmental laws and desist from indiscriminate disposal of waste.

Adeniyi disclosed that OGWAMA had introduced the Blue Box Initiative to expand the collection and recycling of recyclable materials across communities.

Through the scheme, officials and aggregators educate residents about recyclable materials and purchase the items from them. The approach provides residents with an income stream while reducing the amount of waste ultimately sent to landfills.

He said the programme was supporting Ogun State’s transition from conventional waste disposal to recycling and resource recovery.

Adeniyi also stated that Ogun State currently has the highest number of recycling companies in Nigeria, describing the development as an indication of the state’s increasing focus on the circular economy.

He added that the state government would continue supporting initiatives capable of creating economic value from waste while improving environmental sanitation.

The Chief Executive Officer of Kazih Limited, Rite Foods’ sustainability partner and manufacturer of the coveralls produced from Rite Foods’ post-consumer product wraps, Dr. Chinedu Azih, also said recycling provided practical opportunities to transform discarded materials into useful products.

The Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Environment, Dr. (Mrs) Kafayat Lawal, stressed the importance of timely payment of street sweepers’ salaries in sustaining their commitment to keeping the environment clean.

Lawal commended Rite Foods for supporting the state government’s environmental initiatives, while emphasising that government could not accomplish the task alone.

The collaboration between Rite Foods and OGWAMA therefore highlights a waste management model focused on recycling and resource recovery, treating discarded materials as potential resources for environmental and economic value rather than simply as refuse.

Source: Independent