Nigeria: Wecyclers, the start-up that turns waste into income
In Lagos, only 40% of the waste is collected. The start-up Wecyclers has decided to make the management of detritus business. It collects garbage cans on demand, thanks to an SMS system, and remunerates them by selling them to the public waste management company of the city.
The trash cans that turn into wealth is the concept launched by Wecyclers since 2012. This Nigerian start-up relies on the resale of waste collected to finance itself. It now employs 120 people and has already convinced 15,000 people to collect their waste. They are doubly winners: encouraged to get rid of their bins by a system of points, they can exchange them for consumer goods. Result, since its creation, the start-up has recovered 3,000 tons of waste.
photo credit: Seth Granville