APM Terminals Apapa, Nigeria’s largest container terminal, has partnered with waste management startup Garbage In Value Out (GIVO) to launch a zero-carbon recycling hub to combat plastic pollution and foster environmental sustainability.
Located in Apapa, it is designed to make waste recycling easier and more accessible to communities, and encourage clean practices, by targeting plastic waste, and transforming them into reusable materials.
Victor Boyle-Komolafe, CEO of GIVO, explained that the facility is solar-powered and services a 25-kilometre radius. It currently recycles approximately 300 kilograms of waste per day, totaling about 90 metric tons annually.
According to Boyle-Komolafe, these efforts help avoid up to 3,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
“This project not only protects the environment but also drives economic empowerment,” he said. “We offer N300 per kilogram of waste collected and have created over 50 indirect jobs and 15 direct jobs.”
Steen Knudsen, APM terminal manager, said the company hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 through investments in environmental sustainability.
“As a key player in the transportation and logistics industry, we operate heavy equipment and vessels that contribute to carbon emissions, and we recognise our responsibility to reduce that footprint,” he said.
A previous effort at achieving this was recycling used tyres into floor mats and flip-flops. The terminal is already procuring coveralls made from recycled plastic waste.
“We would welcome a more circular economy, where not only is the waste collected in Nigeria, but also where the value-adding processes are done in country, further decreasing CO2 emissions from transportation and creating jobs for Nigerians,” he said
Read also: APM Terminals supports education in Apapa with 45 scholarship grants
The project has also endorsed by the state government as an effort to combat “the casual disposal of plastic waste, which often blocks drainage systems and contributes to flooding,” according to Harry Olugboyega, deputy director of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), who called for increased recycling efforts to generate raw materials and create income opportunities.
Titilayo Oshodi, special adviser on Climate Change and Circular Economy to the Lagos State Governor, sees the initiative as a model for community-led involvement in sustainable environmental practices.
“This project is about localising impact, scaling sustainable solutions, and putting people at the centre of climate action,” she said.
NIMASA also partners in the project to maintain cleaner waterways.
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