THE PROBLEM

The fashion & textile industry is the second-largest plastic polluter in the world with an estimated 89 million tons of plastic waste generated annually & a recycling rate of less than 1%.

Global plastic production rates have reached a staggering 460 million metric tons of plastic annually, with only about 9% of it being recycled. Nigeria produces an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, and less than 10% to 12% of that total waste is recycled. About 60% of the plastic waste generated are low-value plastic waste e.g. plastic bags/thin carrier bags, food & soap wrappers, pure water sachets, multi-layer beverage sachets, etc.

Low-value plastics are hard-to-recycle because they’re particularly difficult to recover economically and as a result, they often end up in landfills, drains, waterways, and open spaces, contributing to pollution and flooding.