Rite Foods, Recycle Points partner on waste to wealth
By Ambrose Nnaji Rite Foods Limited has launched its “Waste-Is-Naira” (W.I.N) initiative, in partnership with RecyclePoints, a leading waste-to-wealth social enterprise. This ambitious, community-driven program aligns with global best practices
By Ambrose Nnaji
Rite Foods Limited has launched its “Waste-Is-Naira” (W.I.N) initiative, in partnership with RecyclePoints, a leading waste-to-wealth social enterprise. This ambitious, community-driven program aligns with global best practices in post-consumer waste management, transforming plastic waste into economic opportunities for Nigerians while promoting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
Unveiled at Rite Foods’ corporate headquarters in Opebi, Lagos, the initiative represents a critical milestone in the company’s long-term sustainability journey. By creating a structured system for recycling and the collection of post-consumer packaging, Rite Foods is not only reinforcing its environmental commitments but also empowering consumers to participate directly in the waste management process.
Through the partnership with RecyclePoints, Rite Foods has embedded EPR principles into its operations, ensuring that plastic waste no longer ends up in landfills. The W.I.N initiative enables residents to exchange used plastic bottles and beverage cans for cash—turning waste into a viable income source. This scalable model is set to recover over 750 tons of plastic waste annually, significantly reducing environmental pollution and promoting circularity in packaging use.
Rite Foods’ Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Ekuma Eze, described the initiative as a natural extension of the company’s broader sustainability agenda. “The ‘Waste-Is-Naira’ initiative goes beyond typical clean-up programs. It reflects our responsibility to close the loop on packaging materials by reintegrating waste into the value chain. This system translates waste into tangible socio-economic benefits for Nigerians, creating a more sustainable environment and boosting grassroots economic activity,” Eze said.
The initiative builds on years of impactful work through Rite on the beach, a coastal clean-up project, and now extends inland to a more structured, incentive-based recycling model. Through this framework, Rite Foods hopes to drive significant behavioural change at the community level.
RecyclePoints’ Programme Manager, Daniel Oderinde, explained the process: participants are provided with designated “Waste-Is-Naira” sack bags to encourage proper waste segregation at the source. After filling the bags, the waste is delivered to collection hubs where it is logged, weighed, and digitally recorded. This ensures full transparency and financial inclusion for participants as payments are processed.
The initiative is not only a win for the environment but also for the local economy. As Akin Disu, Founder of Popbeachclub and Rite Foods’ partner in the Riteonthebeach project, emphasized, “Waste is simply value in the wrong place. By connecting people to opportunities and empowering them to take responsibility for waste, we unlock not just environmental benefits, but livelihoods.”
The partnership also enjoys broad support from regulatory bodies such as the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), and the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA). These stakeholders have lauded the program’s alignment with environmental policies and the potential for long-term impact.
Director of Environmental Sustainability at LASEPA, Adedayo Adebayo lauded the initiative’s compliance with environmental standards. “It strengthens public-private collaboration and ensures the program delivers lasting impact.”
Oguntola Omolara, of LAWMA, added that it is a timely intervention, supporting the state’s waste management goals. Adeoye Babajide, Director of Waste Management at Lagos Ministry of Works and Water Resources, echoed these sentiments, noting that the initiative aligns with the state’s commitment to maintaining a healthy, habitable environment.
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FBRA Executive Secretary Arese Onigise also highlighted the broader implications of the initiative. “By creating systems that incentivize consumers and integrate informal waste collectors, Rite Foods is helping to build a circular economy. This is exactly the scalable, impactful model the industry needs to drive long-term sustainability.”
At its core, the W.I.N initiative is a community-based, inclusive system that integrates households, waste pickers, and aggregators into a formal recycling value chain. Not only will it help mitigate plastic waste, but it is also expected to create jobs, empower informal waste collectors, and reinforce the importance of sustainability in Nigeria’s economy.
By embedding Extended Producer Responsibility in this practical, inclusive framework, Rite Foods is setting an example for how corporate leadership—aligned with regulatory policies—can drive both environmental and socio-economic change. Through “Waste-Is-Naira,” the company is demonstrating that sustainability can be both a responsibility and an opportunity for growth, fostering a cleaner, more prosperous Nigeria for all.
