Manufacturer turns packaging waste into workwear in push for ze

Rite Foods Limited has converted part of its industrial packaging waste into protective clothing for waste-management workers in Ogun State, highlighting how recycling can turn materials destined for landfills and drainage channels into useful products while supporting the development of a circular economy.

The company donated 600 protective coveralls and waste-management tools to the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) on September 30, as part of efforts to improve workers’ operating conditions and promote environmental sustainability.

Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Rite Foods, Ekuma Eze, said about 30 per cent of the materials used to manufacture the coveralls came from recycled waste generated from the company’s sausage and beverage packaging.

He said the initiative demonstrated how industrial waste could be recovered and converted into useful materials rather than discarded in landfills or allowed to enter drainage systems.

The company is targeting zero waste to landfill by 2030, a goal that would require more of its operational waste to be reused or recycled into other products.

“We believe that by 2030 we should have achieved zero waste to landfill, meaning that the waste we generate from our operations will not end up in the landfill, but be recycled into other useful products,” Eze said.

The initiative comes as manufacturers face growing pressure to manage the environmental consequences of production, packaging and distribution. Recovering materials for reuse can reduce waste-disposal needs and create opportunities for businesses involved in recycling, processing and the manufacture of alternative products.

Beyond the environmental benefits, converting discarded packaging into workwear demonstrates the potential for collaboration between manufacturers and public waste-management agencies to create practical uses for recovered materials.

Eze said the donation was also intended to recognise the contribution of waste workers whose daily activities help maintain cleaner and healthier communities.

Managing Director of OGWAMA, Farouk Akintunde Adeniyi, commended the company’s support, while Permanent Secretary of the Ogun State Ministry of Environment, Kafayat Lawal, said the partnership had contributed to the efforts of waste workers across the state.

Rite Foods, which operates a manufacturing facility in Ogun State, had previously donated school bags made from recycled waste materials to children in Lagos and Ogun states.

The company’s zero-landfill target, however, will require recycling to become a sustained part of its operations rather than remain limited to individual projects. Achieving that goal will depend on effective waste collection, material recovery and reliable partnerships capable of turning industrial by-products into commercially useful resources.

The latest initiative offers a practical example of how manufacturers can link environmental responsibility with resource efficiency, while providing public waste-management workers with equipment to support their daily operations.