Nigeria, home to an estimated 200 million people, is grappling with the growing use of plastics and the subsequent waste that is generated from them. Recent research on the challenge of plastic pollution by Dumbili and Henderson (2020) disclosed that more than 60 million sachet water bags are consumed and disposed of daily in Nigeria. It comes as no surprise that the frequent use of plastic bags, and the popularity of sachet water and plastic bottles account for 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste generated in Nigeria annually.

Lagos State, the commercial nerve centre of Africa’s populous nation with over 437 PSP managers, 47 recyclers and a workforce that clean the metropolis, is not immune to this impasse as 870,000 tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually. Plastic pollution is ubiquitous in the megacity, raising serious environmental, health and societal risks.

The concern for plastic pollution is highly relevant when considering its impact on climate change. More worrisome is that these plastic sachets, single-carrier bags, and other disposable plastic products end up in land and marine environments as a result of the indiscriminate disposal and the popular social culture of dumping plastic wastes on the roadside, under bridges, and in drainage channels (gutters) during periods of rainfall.

Waste management habits/behaviour facilitate indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste, which in turn, exacerbates plastic pollution in Nigeria. A lack of awareness of the environmental and potential health risks of plastic pollution, poor resourcing of waste management and recycling infrastructure, an unskilled/inadequate waste collection workforce, and untimely litter collection potentially intensify the scale of the problem.

Consumers’ improper disposal of used plastic bottles, including other forms of waste, is a bigger concern in the drive towards reducing plastic use. In recognition of this challenge, Switch Recycling Innovation is driving positive attitudinal change toward waste disposal and revolutionizing the system of waste management within urban areas by deploying cutting-edge technology, industry-best standards, and skilled personnel.

Leveraging technology, Switch Recycling Mobile Application is exploring an innovative approach towards achieving plastic waste material recovery - pooling all stakeholders in the waste management ecosystem onto a platform. The Switch application is designed for both customers (i.e., individual households) and Agents (merchants who do not have or have existing businesses).

The Switch Mobile App engages its users using a ride-hailing drop-off/pick-up programme and integrated financial technology features to carry out online transactions easily and with less stress. The concept is to encourage an eco-friendlier environment while rewarding users for waste disposal (waste-to-cash), facilitating financial inclusion, and contributing to social responsibility frameworks through PET donations to charity.

With presence in 21 states in Nigeria, Switch Recycling Innovations is leveraging its internally developed ecosystem which includes households, agents, independent aggregators, partners, corporate collections, and PET donations for charity to help tackle the volume of plastic waste across the country.

For Switch Recycling “Citizens have a crucial role to play in her circular economy strategy. While attitudes about waste management need to improve, a concerted effort is needed on the part of the public to change their behaviour towards plastic waste disposal. We are committed to promoting advocacy towards plastic disposal to improve waste recovery systems.