Sonnex rPET, LBS champion plastic waste management in Nigeria

NIGERIA – Sonnex Rpet has partnered with the Lagos Business School (LBS) Sustainability Centre to strengthen leadership capacity in sustainable waste management as Nigeria battles a growing plastic waste crisis.

As part of the program, participants toured Sonnex Rpet’s recycling facility in Ikorodu, Lagos, where they witnessed how discarded plastics are collected, processed, and transformed into usable materials.

The visit provided hands-on learning to demonstrate how recycling can drive innovation, empower communities, and create new business opportunities.

At the site, participants studied operations at Sara Rpet, Sonnex Packaging Nigeria’s waste management arm, which integrates environmental sustainability with economic value creation.

The model has been credited with cutting plastic waste while creating livelihoods, showcasing how circular economy approaches can address both social and ecological challenges.

Anil Mohinani, Managing Director of Business Development at Mohinani Group, stressed the value of academic-industry collaboration, “Academic institutions play a crucial role in developing Nigeria’s next generation of sustainability leaders.

“This collaboration with LBS Sustainability Centre creates opportunities for knowledge sharing, research development, and workforce preparation.”

The tour featured demonstrations of advanced PET bottle-to-bottle processing, quality assurance systems, integrated waste treatment, and environmental management practices.

Participants also explored collector empowerment programs, impact measurement systems, and Sonnex Rpet’s long-term scalability plans.

Oreva Atanya, Director of the LBS Sustainability Centre, noted that the initiative aligns with the school’s mission to cultivate responsible African business leaders, “Sara Rpet’s success proves that environmental sustainability and business excellence can go hand in hand.

“This partnership offers a strong circular economy model for the food, beverage, packaging, and solid waste management sectors.”

Since launching, Sara Rpet has processed over 10,000 metric tonnes of post-consumer PET bottles, created more than 4,000 direct and indirect jobs, and built extensive collection networks supporting hundreds of Lagos waste collectors.

The company is also exploring joint research, student case studies, and knowledge-sharing projects with LBS to strengthen sustainable business education further.

Nigeria generates more than 2.5 million tonnes of plastic annually, with less than 15% recycled. By converting PET bottles into high-quality recycled materials for packaging, Sonnex Rpet is reducing environmental pressure while creating economic and social value.

Organizers say the Sonnex–LBS partnership represents a scalable model for bridging academia, industry, and communities in tackling Africa’s sustainability challenges.

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