How Ecocykle is Turning Waste into Wealth: Reducing Pollution and Empowering Communities

 In a bid to promote a green environment, there has been a constant demand from environmentalists worldwide for individuals and organizations to adopt green skills to improve sustainability. 

In Nigeria, where sustainability wasn't given much idea in the past, certain individuals have begun to change the narrative, and have continued to form an alliance between environmental sustainability and socioeconomic growth.

Meet Aliyu Sadiq, A graduate of The University Of Abuja, with an outstanding Second Class Upper Bachelor’s Degree in Geography And Environmental Management. Aliyu Sadiq is well known for being the founder of Ecocykle, an award-winning social enterprise that seeks to achieve a Climate-Smart environment through green solutions for marginalized communities and enabling green skills access for women and youth in Nigeria.

A few days ago, I was privileged to have a one-on-one session with Aliyu, as we discussed the reason behind the founding of Ecocykle and how much has been achieved so far.

Ecocykle was brought to life by Aliyu in 2020. After his graduation in 2019, there was only one focus in his mind, providing solutions to solving issues in the ecosystem. 

Aliyu Sadiq, Left, teaching youths at the "Oya Recycle Project"

As a graduate, fresh into the labor market, Aliyu took into observation how young folks all around the country were faced with struggles to finance themselves in a depressed economy, and at the same time, he noticed the continuous decline in the environment caused by indiscriminate waste dumping and with this in mind, he saw the vision for Ecocykle, an enterprise that not only seeks to provide green solutions for the environment but also one that navigates the path of helping people become financially stable while also taking care of their environment.

After a critical observation of urgent needs within the environment in regards to pollution caused by discriminate dumping of waste most especially plastic and hazardous chemicals, and the negative impact of climate change on the environment, mostly as a result of this wastes and pollution, Aliyu, directed the focus of Ecocykle into providing solutions for this impending problems faced by the environment.

How has Ecocykle integrated circular economy principles into its initiatives, and what impact has it seen as a result of its efforts?

With a focus on waste reduction, Ecocykle has set up various initiatives that focus on both waste Reduction and providing a means of income for both the organization and individuals within their care. Some of these initiatives include their Smart Mobile Bin, an easy-to-move waste bin. There’s also the PLAN, an Acronym for “Play, Learn, and Act Now". This is an initiative set up as a card game that helps to educate young people regarding the environment and how they can become involved in ensuring a more sustainable future. 

This introduction of these programs has not only helped reduce waste but a majority of these setups have been programmed to help empower both youths and women in different communities. Within some of these communities, women have been taught how they can be able to produce Charcoal Briquettes by themselves. This training program has also helped to educate some of these women on the importance of sustainability within their environment, some practices they can carry to achieve this sustainability, and how to convert these practices into an income source.

When asked about his view regarding the roles green opportunities can play when it comes to addressing environmental and socioeconomic challenges in Nigeria, Aliyu gave a compelling statement. According to him, green skills are a driving force to sustainability, and if utilized properly, these skills will not only solve environmental problems but can also become a source of income generation for individuals who key into it. How can this be achieved? Still quoting from Aliyu “Sustainability and sustainable development can only be achieved when you consider the environment”. (So there you have it, you have to think about the planet if you want the planet to think about you).

We’ve discussed Ecocykle and how they’ve continued to involve communities as a focus of their projects, but an underlying is, how have they been able to make sure everyone in these communities benefits from these projects? Ecocykle has set priorities to make the major focus of their projects helping mostly children in slums and out-of-school children. Through due diligence, they’re able to determine which project to propose to communities. Most of their due diligence is done through engagement with community members including community heads and other stakeholders within the community.

But achieving some of this project comes with its setbacks. Capital which is the major setback, has often time stood as a source of discouragement when it comes to initiating these projects. How has Ecocykle been able to overcome these challenges?

By developing a spirit of Collaboration, Aliyu and his team have continued to strive to achieve their goals. Since its Inception, Ecocykle has collaborated with more than 20 different partners to be able to amplify their reach with their projects. Last year when the PLAN was introduced, Ecocykle collaborated with the Nigerian Conservation Organization, and a few other partners who have helped them create this game. They’ve also had collaborations with women empowerment groups to be able to spread their impacts to as many women as possible. 

However being a startup Organization, Ecocykle has had limitations to partnership and grant opportunities, as quite a lot of Big Organizations have high requirements that need to be met before allying with another body. For example, Aliyu recounted to me his ordeal when they tried to gain recognition with the UN, but were unable to add the UN has a 10-year existence requirement before an organization can ally with it. 

But despite this setback, Aliyu and his team have continued to push on relentlessly, checklisting various Milestones. So far, Ecocykle has trained over 10,000 youths and women. When it comes to waste collection, they’ve made use of over 50 tons of waste and transformed them into usable materials. And as they’ve continued to push, their efforts and impact have not gone unnoticed.  Recently, the team received a letter of recommendation from the Nigeria Ministry of Environment. They’ve also received 4 awards to honor them for their positive impacts in reducing both waste and the number of dependable individuals in society.

But despite this achievement, Aliyu and his team still feel like there’s still more that can be achieved. When asked about the future goals and aspiring of Ecocykle, Aliyu spoke passionately about how he seeks to make Ecocykle into a household name. He also stated that he wants Ecocykle to become a continental brand. With a vision to empower at least 100,000 youths and women with jobs and reduce the amount of waste in the environment, he and his team seek to open a center for development, research, and empowerment. 

When asked about how he feels with regard to the work being done by Ecocykle, Aliyu claims he feels nothing but joy and fulfillment when he receives positive feedback and testimonies from women and youth they've empowered.

As Ecocykle continues to grow, they seek more helping hands and donors and would like you to join them in their endeavors to help provide more green skill empowerment opportunities to more marginalized communities. To join, go to their site @ecocykle.com, and fill out their membership form.