Donates 600 coveralls to Ogun sweepers

Rite Foods Limited has announced plans to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030, as part of its efforts to promote environmental sustainability and strengthen its commitment to the circular economy.

The company’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Ekuma Eze, disclosed this during a partnership with the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) to mark World Cleanup Day, themed, “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities.”

As part of the initiative, Rite Foods distributed 600 coveralls to street sweepers in Ogun State.

Eze said the company was committed to ensuring that waste generated from its operations was reused, repurposed or recycled rather than disposed of in landfills.

He said: “As a company, we believe that by 2030, we should have achieved zero waste to landfill, meaning that none of the waste we generate from our operations will end up in the landfill. All of it will be useful, repurposed, reused and recycled.”

According to him, the company’s support for the World Cleanup Day initiative was also aimed at recognising the efforts of street sweepers who work daily to keep cities and communities clean.

He said Rite Foods was providing the workers with coveralls and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to enable them to carry out their duties safely and effectively.

Eze said the initiative was particularly significant because Rite Foods operates in Ogun State, adding that the company had a responsibility to contribute to the wellbeing of the communities where it operates.

He explained that the initiative also demonstrated the company’s commitment to circularity, noting that about 30 per cent of the materials used to produce the coveralls were derived from its waste materials.

“So, the coveralls you see, about 30 per cent of what we use to make them comes from our waste materials. We are repurposing waste to make what they are wearing,” he said.

Eze said the initiative showed how materials that could otherwise end up in drains, on land or in landfills could be converted into useful products.

He said: “Those wastes that should have ended up in the drains or landfill, we have repurposed to make the coveralls they wear. So, it is a way of telling our story of circularity. Nothing should be wasted.”

He added that Rite Foods’ environmental sustainability drive was aimed at positioning the company among businesses in Nigeria recognised for responsible environmental practices.

“We want to be one of the companies that, when you mention the name in Nigeria, one of the first things people will recall is that we are an environmentally sustainable company, a company that supports environmental sustainability,” he said.

Eze stressed that the partnership with OGWAMA was not a one-off initiative, saying the relationship would continue for as long as Rite Foods remained in operation.

The Special Adviser on Environment to Governor Dapo Abiodun and Managing Director of OGWAMA, Farouk Akintunde Adeniyi, called for collective efforts by residents, corporate organisations and other stakeholders to sustain a clean and healthy environment across the state.

Adeniyi commended Rite Foods for collaborating with the authority on the environmental clean-up exercise, describing the initiative as an example of corporate social responsibility.

He urged other organisations to support the government’s environmental efforts, noting that a cleaner environment required the participation of all stakeholders.

He also highlighted OGWAMA’s Loopbox initiative, through which recyclable waste is collected from communities while residents are compensated, stressing the need to transform waste into wealth.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr Kafayat Lawal, also applauded Rite Foods for the initiative and urged other companies to emulate the gesture.

She said greater support for environmental workers would help them perform their duties more effectively.