In line with its purpose to brighten everyday life for all, Unilever Nigeria announced that it has 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.
Unilever Nigeria plc has been in partnership with Wecyclers since 2014. 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, 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,”Kleinebenne said.
While commenting on the neutrality achievement with Unilever Nigeria, The 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.” Mr. Adebiyi further noted that through the years, Unilever Nigeria has invested in Wecyclers operations through different models of collections that include Wecyclers Recycling Exchange Program, which is a model that facilitates the drop off of recyclable materials at various kiosk locations.
Unilever also helped facilitate a pioneering Corporate backed Impact Bond program that invested in the establishment of 26 Wecyclers Franchise locations. These models of collections are spread across the country, and they enable us to support Unilever Nigeria to achieve their target of collecting more plastic from environment than what they put into it.
As the longest-serving manufacturing company in the country, Unilever Nigeria emphasises its commitment to Brighten Everyday Life for All through its brands and operations.