Building a Business from Waste

About this course

Waste becomes a business when you know who will buy it, what condition they want it in and how to move it there at a profit. This course walks you through the recycling value chain, the daily work of buying, sorting and storing material, the safety and permit basics, the records and cash habits that lenders look for, and the practical ways to grow. It is written by a working Nigerian recycling company that buys, sorts and sells these materials every day.

Who it's for: Entrepreneurs, small businesses, cooperatives, women's groups and young people starting or growing a recycling or waste-based business in Nigeria, including those preparing to seek loans from banks and development finance institutions.

What you'll be able to do

• By the end you will be able to map the recycling value chain, explain what drives the price of each common material and choose a sensible niche for your business.
• By the end you will be able to plan a collection route, buy honestly at the scale, and sort, grade and store material so buyers accept it at the best price.
• By the end you will be able to run a yard that protects workers, never uses child labour, prevents fire and holds the registrations and permits your state and NESREA expect.
• By the end you will be able to keep purchase, stock, sales and cash records, work out simple unit economics and prepare the evidence a lender such as the Bank of Industry looks for.
• By the end you will be able to judge when to add processing, negotiate an offtake agreement, work with producer responsibility schemes and report your impact honestly.

Course outline

1. Module 1: The recycling value chain and where you fitAbout 15 minutes
   1. Who does what in the chain
   2. Materials and what drives their prices
   3. Picking your niche
   4. Check your understanding
2. Module 2: Starting small and doing it wellAbout 10 minutes
   1. Collection routes and buying honestly at the scale
   2. Sorting, grading and storage
   3. Building community relationships
   4. Check your understanding
3. Module 3: Safety, permits and doing it rightAbout 15 minutes
   1. Keeping people safe: PPE, machines and fire
   2. Child labour never, and fair treatment always
   3. Registration, permits and environmental good practice
   4. Check your understanding
4. Module 4: Records, cash and getting financedAbout 15 minutes
   1. Records and cash control
   2. Simple unit economics
   3. What lenders look for
   4. Check your understanding
5. Module 5: Growing the businessAbout 10 minutes
   1. Adding processing: grinding, baling and more
   2. Offtake agreements and partnerships under EPR
   3. Adjacent opportunities and telling your impact
   4. Check your understanding

Standards and frameworks covered

• National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) regulations, including its Extended Producer Responsibility programme for packaging
• National Policy on Solid Waste Management
• National Policy on Plastic Waste Management
• State environmental protection and waste management agencies
• Producer responsibility organisations such as the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA)
• Child Rights Act 2003 and ILO Conventions 138 (Minimum Age) and 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour)
• ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems
• ISO 14001 Environmental management systems
• GRI 306: Waste (2020)
• Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles (CBN, 2012)
• IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability
• Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal