Across the world, the conversation around environmental sustainability has moved far beyond pledges and policy papers. It has become a race against time, a mission to protect the planet’s shrinking resources, restore fragile ecosystems, and redefine the relationship between industry and environment.
As climate change intensifies and waste continues to overwhelm communities, organizations are being judged not just by what they produce but by the legacy they leave behind.
In Nigeria, the urgency is even more pronounced. Rapid urbanization, limited recycling infrastructure, and increasing consumer waste have placed immense pressure on cities, waterways, and public health. From Lagos to Kano, the environment is sending a clear message: action can no longer wait.
Vision 2050
“For us, sustainability is not just a commitment, it is a responsibility to the people and the environment where we operate,” affirmed Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability Lead at Nestlé Nigeria. Her message underscores a belief that progress must not come at the expense of the planet.
Nestlé’s approach places environmental stewardship at the heart of its operations. As a broad corporate goal, Nestlé aims to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest. Nestlé’s holistic approach to managing its environmental impact involves connecting the dots between climate change and related issues, including water stewardship, biodiversity, and human rights.
Nestlé’s progress toward net zero emissions saw its renewable electricity sourced at all manufacturing sites increase to 91.9% in 2023, up from 50.5% in 2020. By 2025, Nestlé aims to source 100% renewable electricity across all its sites globally.
Nestlé takes a science-based approach to lower emissions across its value chain and helps address the impacts of climate change on natural ecosystems, communities, and food systems. Nestlé Nigeria also works closely with farmers and the communities they serve to help increase the uptake of regenerative agricultural practices.
Climate change is one of society’s greatest challenges. It is also one of the greatest risks to the future of business; hence, limiting its severity and impacts requires all stakeholders to act with urgency.
The majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the value chain (95%), activities like land use and farming. That’s why Nestlé is working with partners throughout the value chain to scale up activities such as regenerative farming to significantly reduce its GHG emissions, even as the company continues to grow.
In 2020, the company published the Nestlé Net Zero Roadmap, and since then, it has transformed the business to start delivering reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across all three Scopes of Nestlé’s activities. Nestlé has developed two main strategic approaches that will help tackle the Scope 3 emissions.
Commemorating World Clean Up Day
This year, Nestlé Nigeria took its sustainability efforts to the streets, launching a nationwide clean-up and community sensitization campaign. This annual clean-up campaign demonstrates Nestlé Nigeria’s broader sustainability agenda, driven largely by Nestlé Cares, the employee volunteering platform that reflects the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
The initiative which was in collaboration with the Africa Clean-Up Initiative (ACI), an NGO passionate about raising environmentally responsible citizens, for cleanup, sensitization, and advocacy on Environmental Sustainability, mobilized over 516 Nestlé Cares volunteers from the company’s head office, branch offices, and factories.
The clean-up efforts spanned 11 cities, focusing on high-footfall market hubs such as Oke-Arin Market in Lagos, Utako Market in Abuja, Abubakar Rimi Market in Kano, Satellite Market in Jos, Sabo Market in Sagamu, Bodija Market in Ibadan, Okoko Market in Agbara, Abaji Market in Abaji, Holyghost Market in Enugu, Aguawka Market in Awka, and Mile 3 Market in Port Harcourt.
These locations were strategically selected based on their waste burden and community impact, resulting in the collective removal of 5,601 kilograms of solid and 379.2 kilograms of recyclable waste, highlighting the tangible results of corporate-community collaboration.
“At Nestlé, our commitment to fighting plastic waste is integral to our vision of a waste-free future. This vision encompasses internal accountability and proactive stakeholder engagement,” Victoria Uwadoka, lead, corporate communications, public affairs, and sustainability, Nestlé Nigeria, stated in aligning the initiative with the World Environment Day theme, ‘Curbing Plastic Pollution.’
She disclosed that Nestlé is supporting the advancement of circularity within the plastics value chain through strategic partnerships with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) and plastic waste recyclers such as Alef Recycling, Wecyclers, Chanja Datti, and Maladase Ecopreneurs Management Ltd.
“In addition, our Employee Plastics Collection Scheme (EPCS), launched in 2022, empowers our employees to take responsibility for their environmental impact by recycling their plastic waste. Through the EPCS, we have achieved diversion of 5,922 kg of plastic waste from landfills. Collectively, our initiatives have successfully retrieved over 61,000 metric tons of plastic from the environment since 2019,” Uwadoka stated.
According to Uwadoka, these locations were strategically selected based on their waste burden and community impact, resulting in the collective removal of 5,601 kilograms of solid and 379.2 kilograms of recyclable waste, highlighting the tangible results of corporate-community collaboration.
Alex Akhigbe, founder of the African Clean-Up Initiative, stated that the broader vision driving the partnership is to inspire a generation that values and protects its planet. According to him, the initiative represents a sustainability movement grounded in the principles of collective responsibility, collaboration, and the circular economy.
“The fight against plastic pollution requires deliberate action. Every bottle collected, every conversation initiated, contributes to shaping a culture of environmental consciousness,” Akhigbe stated.
Empowering Plastic Waste Workers
Recognizing the crucial role plastic waste workers play in reducing pollution and facilitating a circular economy, Nestlé Nigeria launched a comprehensive Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE) Training Program. The initiative, supported by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Recyclers Association of Nigeria (RAN), and the Food Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), empowered 100 plastic waste workers across Lagos and Abuja, enhancing their safety and well-being, and promoting their dignity within the plastics recycling value chain.
Speaking on the company’s motivation for the initiative, Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability Lead for Nestlé Nigeria, highlighted Nestlé’s commitment to building a waste-free future and the recognition of the role that the waste workers play in bringing this vision to life.
She said, “At Nestlé, we are committed to building a waste-free future and recognize the crucial role plastic waste workers play in reducing pollution and facilitating a circular economy. This training is a vital component of our support for this key stakeholder group, enhancing Nigeria’s waste management infrastructure. By equipping these essential workers with the necessary skills and knowledge, we help to improve their quality of life while increasing their employability and boosting productivity within a sustainable waste management framework.”
During the opening ceremony in Abuja, Prof. Innocent Barikor, Director General of NESREA, praised Nestlé’s commitment to environmental sustainability, stating, “I commend Nestlé Nigeria Plc. for its commitment towards environmental sustainability and for prioritizing the health and safety of those at the frontline of waste management.
“Waste workers are often unrecognized yet play a crucial role in our national effort to combat plastic pollution in our environment. The focus on training waste workers is commendable, especially at a time when the world is seeking solutions to the prevailing challenges relating to plastic waste management”. He added.
Innovating for a Sustainable Future
Nestlé Nigeria’s commitment to sustainability is not limited to community engagement and employee volunteering. The company is also innovating its products and packaging to reduce environmental impact.
By eliminating the traditional blue color pigmentation, the clear cap makes it easier for recyclers to identify, sort, and repurpose the material, helping to reduce plastic waste and promote a circular economy. This change reinforces Nestlé Nigeria’s long-term commitment to more sustainable packaging solutions.
Speaking on the brand’s decision to introduce the clear cap, Olutayo Olatunji, Business Executive Officer, Nestlé Waters, said, “At Nestlé Pure Life, caring for our consumers and for the planet in every possible way has always been at the heart of what we do. We remain passionate about delivering safe, quality water, and we’re equally committed to protecting our planet. The clear cap isn’t just a design update; it is a reflection of our deeper commitment to sustainability. From being the first and the only water brand to introduce 50% PET in our bottles, which cuts virgin plastic use by half, to now eliminating colored bottle caps, every step we take is intentional, aimed at creating a 360- hydration experience that prioritizes both people and the planet.”
As conversations around plastic pollution and environmental responsibility continue to grow, packaging innovation has become a powerful driver of positive change for forward-thinking companies. Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead, Nestlé Nigeria, emphasized the company’s commitment to this shift.
“At Nestlé, sustainability is not a buzzword; it is a responsibility. Introducing the clear cap represents a meaningful shift in how we design with purpose. Across our brand categories, we are thinking beyond function to impact, creating packaging that works for consumers, supports our recycling partners, and protects the planet.”
This development contributes to Nestlé’s global ambition to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. Locally, it reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to enable a more sustainable hydration experience in Nigeria, one that meets evolving consumer needs while preserving natural resources for future generations.
The Power of Partnerships
By collaborating with government agencies, NGOs, and private sector organizations, Nestlé Nigeria is leveraging collective expertise and resources to drive impact through the power of partnerships.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Wassim Elhusseini, has impressed on corporate Nigeria, especially the media, the need to forge a synergy of cooperation in order to build a more prosperous, sustainable society.
Justifying the need for the partnership across all sectors during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Cohort of Nestlé Advancing Nutrition, Health, and Environmental Awareness Through the Media Program, held at the Lagos Business School, Sustainability Center, Elhusseini emphasized that it becomes inevitable to build a healthier and resilient society.
Nestlé Nigeria’s sustainability journey is a shining example of what can be achieved when business, government, and civil society come together to address the environmental challenges facing our planet.
As the company continues to innovate, partner, and engage, it is inspiring a nation and beyond to join the sustainability movement. The future is bright, and with leaders like Nestlé Nigeria, we can create a waste-free world.