In a bold statement of environmental leadership, International Breweries Plc (IBPLC), a member of the AB InBev group, marked World Environment Day 2025 with a sweeping campaign to combat plastic pollution across Nigeria. From urban clean-ups and public sensitization in Lagos to waste recovery drives in Nasarawa and Osogbo, the brewer’s multifaceted efforts are positioning it as a continental model for corporate sustainability.
This wide-reaching effort, organized under AB InBev’s Africa Sustainability Week, places IBPLC at the forefront of private sector responses to environmental degradation in Africa. It is a commitment grounded in data, driven by policy, and sustained through active community participation. One of the cornerstones of IBPLC’s strategy is circular packaging, over 95 percent of its beverages are now sold in returnable glass bottles, a move that significantly reduces disposable waste and contributes to long-term environmental protection.
The need for such initiatives in Nigeria is urgent; the country produces an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year – roughly 12 kilograms per person. Lagos alone contributes 13,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, a substantial portion of which is non-biodegradable plastic. With just 10 percent of plastic currently being recycled and a national ban on single-use plastics set to take effect later this year, the gap between policy and practice remains wide. Enforcement has been sluggish, and the burden is increasingly shifting to the private sector to act with urgency and leadership.
IBPLC has responded by embedding its sustainability agenda within the national framework of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a policy managed by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). Through its collaboration with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), the company recovered over 200,000 kilograms of post-consumer plastic in 2024 alone. The FBRA, which represents close to 30 industry players, supports community-based collection hubs in cities such as Osogbo, Mararaba, and Nasarawa – preventing plastic waste from clogging waterways and landfills, and channeling it instead into recycling streams.
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Rather than limit its role to regulatory compliance, IBPLC has taken its advocacy directly to the streets and markets. During its 2025 Environment Day campaign, the company held public waste-sorting demonstrations and community education forums in Lagos and across its brewery sites nationwide. These grassroots engagements were praised by local environmental authorities, who described them as prime examples of shared environmental stewardship between corporations and citizens.
IBPLC’s environmental mission also extends to nurturing local innovation through its Kickstart youth entrepreneurship programme, which funds startups in waste-to-wealth sectors. This support for young entrepreneurs is reflective of a broader African trend, where enterprising innovators are repurposing waste into valuable products. From Nigeria’s We cyclers, which uses low-tech cargo bikes to collect recyclables, to Kenya’s Gjenge Makers, which transforms discarded plastic into durable bricks, the continent is witnessing a surge in circular economy models that are deeply rooted in local needs and opportunities.
These ventures do more than recycle, they generate employment, inspire innovation, and localize sustainability. IBPLC’s role in fostering this ecosystem demonstrates that large firms can be active enablers of environmental and economic transformation. Its actions complement emerging but inconsistently enforced policies across Africa. Countries like Kenya and South Africa are developing stronger EPR regimes, yet progress remains uneven. In this context, IBPLC’s integrated approach—uniting recycling logistics, youth entrepreneurship, consumer education, and product redesign—offers a roadmap that other African companies can follow.
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According to Temitope Oguntokun, IBPLC’s Corporate Affairs and Regulatory Director, the company’s environmental goals are inseparable from its long-term vision: “These aren’t just targets. They are part of our core purpose—to create a future with more cheers, for people and the planet.” That sentiment is echoed by local leaders such as Alwell Chinedum Okereuku, Permanent Secretary of Rivers State’s Ministry of Environment, who commended IBPLC for making sustainability a practical, community-based effort.
With Nigeria’s single-use plastic ban looming and the effects of climate change intensifying across the continent, the need for holistic and inclusive environmental strategies is more pressing than ever. IBPLC’s campaign proves that voluntary, forward-looking corporate action can serve as a catalyst for systemic change. By combining returnable packaging, PET collection, public engagement, and grassroots entrepreneurship, the company is not only cleaning up the present but also investing in a sustainable future.
As Africa continues to grapple with the dual challenges of pollution and climate vulnerability, IBPLC’s efforts serve as a vital reminder: meaningful progress is possible when business aligns with community, policy, and purpose.
