Sustainia Award Winner 2014:
WECYCLERS
Pedal-powered recycling in Nigeria
In Lagos, Nigeria, Wecyclers is fighting back against unmanaged waste while at the
same time converting daunting environmental and health-related risks into new opportunities. By deploying a fleet of cargo bicycles to collect and recycle neglected waste,
Wecyclers lets families exchange garbage for consumer goods via an SMS-based point
system.
The basis of the Wecyclers concept is a fleet of low-cost cargo bicycles that collect garbage at households in return for redeemable points. The point system is SMS-based
and motivates families to save their bottles, cans and plastics for the weekly bicycle
pick-up service. The material is weighed and for every kilogram of material recycled,
the family receives Wecyclers points on their cell phone that can be redeemed for
goods such as cell phone minutes, basic food items or household goods. The SMS– program also sends collection reminders and instant updates on points.
The Wecyclers solution is a response to local waste issues: the government only collects 40 per cent of city garbage while only 13% of recyclable materials are salvaged
from landfills. This recycling solution empowers the local community to solve waste
problems. More than 5,000 households have signed up so far and there are plans to
extend the initiative to other cities throughout Nigeria and hopefully beyond. The potential is huge: the World Bank estimates that only 10 per cent of waste in Africa is collected.
The initiative adds to the local economy by providing local low-income youth with employment opportunities as collectors, construction workers and maintenance artisans.
Hereby, Wecyclers has managed to make an environmental impact while creating new
jobs and contributing to an increased quality of life for people in low-income and
densely populated areas of Lagos.
Recycling companies purchase the sorted waste for reprocessing as mattresses, pillows, trash bags and other goods. As such, Wecyclers provides recycling companies
with a consistent supply of recyclable materials, alleviating supply constraints and enabling them to operate at full capacity.
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