NIGERIA – Global consumer goods company, Unilever has announced a grant of US$49, 800 (N18.1 million) to Wecyclers, a waste management company to boost waste recycling in the country, reports Daily Trust.

The grant comes as a partnership that will allow Unilever control carbon prints from its operations by helping reduce carbon dioxide emission caused by improper disposal of its post-consumer waste products.

The Corporate Affairs Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc, Mr. George Soromidayo said the partnership comes as Unilever’s contribution towards ensuring maintenance of a cleaner environment.

The partnership also seeks to deliver the firm’s mission of supporting young entrepreneurs.

“Creating a cleaner environment forms part of our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan(USLP).

We believe that this partnership will help us achieve our USLP objectives particularly as it relates to post-consumer waste recycling and management,” said Soromidayo.

Unilever’s Sustainability Partnerships Manager in Africa also emphasized the importance of recycling as a measure of ensuring sustainable and cleaner environments.

“People are buying more products and that amounts to more wastes, there is need for a constant recycling system to reduce the pollution caused by waste and preserve natural resources,” she said.

The chief executive officer Wecyclers said that the grant will be used to build capacity and increase the value from waste collected by the firm.

Unilever will also be supporting the partnership by giving out its products to consumers who turn out in their waste to Wecyclers.

Other than Unilever, Wecyclers has also partnered with Oracle, Nigeria Bottling Company,Coffey, DHL and UKAID among other companies towards ensuring a cleaner environment

Efforts in the food industry to reduce post-consumer waste have immensely increased in the recent past as companies align their operations with sustainable development goals, given 93% of the world’s 250 largest companies now focusing on sustainability.