Sustainia Announces Best Sustainability Solution 2014: Pedal-powered Recycling in Nigeria

(Copenhagen, 30 October 2014) - Nigerian initiative Wecyclers wins the 2014 Sustainia Award, chaired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, for a solution that enables low-income communities to make money from waste piling up in their streets. By deploying a fleet of cargo bicycles to collect and recycle unmanaged waste in Nigeria’s capital Lagos, Wecyclers lets families exchange garbage for consumer goods via an SMS-based point system.

The Sustainia Award Ceremony showcases leading sustainability solutions in Copenhagen, where the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is currently gathered to present its new report on risks related to climate change.

“The threats from climate change are real and they are here. But so are the solutions. I am very inspired by this year’s Sustainia Award winner, Wecyclers. They show us that communities can create local solutions to waste and recycling issues, which are not only more sustainable but also improve public health and create new jobs and businesses. By coming together and acting in new ways, we can create positive and sustainable change in our communities and inspire cities around the world to do the same,” says Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California and Chair of the Sustainia Award.

Wecyclers is a response to local waste issues in Lagos, where only 40 percent of the city’s garbage is collected. The World Bank estimates that only 10 percent of waste in Africa is collected. More than 5,000 households have signed up so far and there are plans to extend the initiative to other cities throughout Nigeria. Recycling companies purchase Wecyclers’ sorted waste for reprocessing for products such as mattresses, pillows and trash bags.

“We are so overwhelmed to win the Sustainia Award. I have always thought of our initiative as low-tech but high-impact. We focused on building a technology that would solve the unique problems of the communities we operate in. I believe that many other cities can help their communities in similar ways and provide healthier and cleaner surroundings for their citizens. This award gives us a great opportunity to share our work,” says Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, CEO of Wecyclers.

“Solutions to combat climate change are not only high-tech innovations focused on cutting emissions, creating infrastructure or efficiency. To successfully solve the variety of challenges, we need variety in our solutions as well.  Wecyclers is a leading example of a solution that empowers its community to lead healthier, wealthier and more sustainable lives. It offers very clear incentives for all players to get on board and that’s exactly what can help this solution succeed,” says Laura Storm, Director of Sustainia.

Solutions to the World’s Climate Threats
Together with nine other leading innovations from seven countries, the Nigerian company unfolded their solution on stage at the annual Sustainia Award Ceremony, an event celebrating state-of-the-art innovations across 10 sectors such as food, fashion, transportation and buildings. The yearly Copenhagen ceremony showcases readily available solutions, particularly relevant this year as the global spotlight is shining on the Danish capital, where more than 1000 climate scientists, business leaders and experts are currently gathered awaiting the concluding report from a seven-year study of the impacts of climate change.

“Sustainia Award Ceremony highlights solutions to many of the grave challenges we are facing these years. Sustainability is not solely a matter of bringing down emissions. It is also a question of using our natural resources more intelligently and creating healthier lives for ourselves. The showcased solutions provide us with tangible sustainability alternatives for our cities, homes, wardrobe, transportation and much more.” Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action and member of Sustainia Award Committee.

The anticipated report, Synthesis Report, will be presented November 2nd in Copenhagen, and will highlight recommendations for policymaking. All Sustainia Award solutions are available in an online publication at Sustainia.me.

SUSTAINIA AWARD SOLUTIONS
All projects nominated for Sustainia Award 2014 are published online at:
http://issuu.com/sustainia/docs/sustainia_top10_2014?e=4517615/9429162

The UN Global Compact is a strategic partner of Sustainia. Click here to view remarks by UN Global Compact Executive Director Georg Kell at today's Sustainia Award Ceremony.

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