Closed-Loop Plastics

Our partner, Jos Green Centre (JGC), an NGO based in the Jos Plateau area, is a youth-driven centre focused on eco-innovations, social enterprise and eco-entrepreneurship.

JGC promotes projects to speed up the sustainable transition of Jos city (and Nigeria) through conferences, collaborations and projects with local communities, institutions and organizations, gaining public acceptance and financial support.

The centre noticed that the waste management system has not an efficient and effective structure, with a limited collection capacity and a low recycling rate.

Considering that the waste generated in Nigeria is estimated between 0.49 and 0.95 kg/capita/day , Nigeria generates 42 million ton/year of waste, of which only less than the 30% is correctly collected and disposed of. It is estimated that 20% of the waste is plastic. According to those values, it is expected that in the only area of Jos around 47 kton/a of plastic waste is generated.

The limited collection capacity and the low recycling rate are one of the main problems of the waste management system. These lead to an indiscriminate waste disposal, contaminating water basins and soil, as well as aggravating the sanitary condition of the country.

There is a need to create value out of plastic waste to:

• Increase the efficiency of the current waste management system
• Increase in jobs among the younger generation.

Currently, start-ups are emerging to improve the lack of waste management systems. In particular:

• Engee Manufacturing is a plastic production company in Ogun and start to produce PET resin of which 20% is taken from waste PET bottles, estimating to save around 30 kton/a of PET waste.
• GIVO settled in Lagos is recycling plastic waste for creating different products, such as face shields and toys. Currently is recycling 110 ton/a, with the goal of creating 20000 new locations all over the country. Furthermore, the GIVO facilities are run by women, decreasing the gender inequality.
  Instead no companies or NGO are found in the area nearby Jos.

The goals of the project are to reduce plastic waste and create added value products; creating a sustainable social enterprise and a circular economy model.

The overall project contribute to the following SDGs:

• 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.
• 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

The overall result is to reduce the plastic pollution in Jos area by improving the existing waste management system, such as – but not limited to – collection and recycling systems.

Along the recycling process, the project aims to create around new 100 job positions. This could be reached considering not only the recycling system itself, but also the collection, distribution, selling and education systems.

For those new future employees, specific training programs have to be organized, before starting the job.

To increase the engagement of the local community and awareness about waste valorization and sustainable process, education classes for the local community will be organized through the first years.