About this project
The Community Plastic Collection Project is a community-driven initiative designed to capture plastic waste at the household level, preventing its leakage into the environment, clogging of drainage systems, and pollution of water bodies. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, the project promotes waste segregation at source while creating socio-economic benefits for local residents.
The project will incentivize households to separate recyclable plastics from other waste streams, rewarding them with tokens for their efforts. Collection will be carried out by 20 trained community-based recyclable waste collector agents—predominantly women and youth—who will gather, sort, and store the materials in preparation for sale to OMIT Recycling, which offers premium prices for high-quality recyclables.
To ensure efficiency, transparency, and traceability, all designated collection agents will be onboarded onto a digital platform. This platform will enable regular scheduling and recording of household collections, verification of source-separated materials, and seamless communication between collectors and OMIT Recycling. Once sufficient volumes are aggregated, collection agents can request pickups directly through the platform.
The digital system will also facilitate real-time tracking of critical impact metrics, including:
Quantity of plastics diverted from the environment
Revenue generated by each collector
Carbon emissions savings resulting from recycling activities
By integrating digital tracking with grassroots collection, the project ensures accountability, promotes consistent participation, and provides valuable data for continuous improvement.
Beyond environmental benefits, the initiative serves as a livelihood program, providing an additional and sustainable income source to both household participants and community collectors. The collected plastics will be sold to OMIT Recycling, for processing into new products—closing the loop in the circular economy and fostering a culture of responsible waste management at the community level.
This model not only addresses plastic pollution at its source but also strengthens community engagement, empowers vulnerable groups, and supports local economic growth. By linking environmental stewardship with socio-economic empowerment, the Community Plastic Collection Project offers a replicable blueprint for scalable, impact-driven waste management in urban and peri-urban communities.
Goals and Objectives
Goals
Prevent plastic waste leakage into the environment by promoting household-level source separation.
Empower women and youth through sustainable, income-generating recycling activities.
Strengthen community engagement in responsible waste management aligned with SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Objectives
Incentivize at least 500 households to separate recyclable plastics from other waste streams.
Train, equip, and onboard 20 community-based recyclable waste collector agents (predominantly women and youth).
Deploy a digital tracking system for collections, revenues, and environmental impact data.
Supply high-quality recyclable plastics to OMIT Recycling and other recycling companies for circular production.
Intended Beneficiaries
Primary: Women and youth serving as community collector agents. They are chosen due to their limited income opportunities and central role in community mobilization. They will gain regular income, business skills, and increased social recognition.
Secondary: Participating households. They are chosen as the primary source of plastic waste and will benefit through financial incentives, cleaner surroundings, and enhanced environmental awareness.
Tertiary: The wider community. They will benefit from reduced environmental pollution, unclogged drainage systems, and improved public health.
Sustainability
Post-project, the collector agents will operate as independent micro-entrepreneurs, directly selling to OMIT Recycling. The digital platform will remain active, enabling continuous transaction tracking and coordination without ongoing external funding. Revenue from recyclables will sustain operations, while established household habits will maintain source separation.
Scaling Potential
The model is easily replicable across other urban and peri-urban communities due to its low infrastructure requirements, community-driven approach, and integration of technology for transparency and accountability. Partnerships with local governments, NGOs, and OMIT recycling company can expand reach, with potential to incorporate additional waste streams such as glass, paper, and metals.
Expected result
Expected Results using SMART approach
Result 1: Increased Household Participation in Waste Source Separation
Specific: At least 500 households in the target community will actively separate recyclable plastics from general waste for collection.
Measurable: Verified through the digital platform’s records of household participation and frequency of collections.
Achievable: Supported by financial incentives, awareness campaigns, and consistent collection schedules.
Relevant: Directly reduces plastic leakage into the environment and improves community sanitation.
Time-Bound: Achieved within the first 12 months of the project.
Result 2: Empowerment of Community-Based Waste Collectors
Specific: 20 trained women and youth will serve as community-based recyclable waste collector agents.
Measurable: Number of agents onboarded, trained, and actively collecting, tracked through training completion records and collection logs on the digital platform.
Achievable: Provided through targeted training, operational tools, and premium pricing from OMIT Recycling.
Relevant: Creates sustainable income opportunities and promotes social inclusion.
Time-Bound: Full training and onboarding completed within the first 2 months; consistent activity maintained throughout the project duration.
Result 3: Reduction of Plastic Waste Leakage into the Environment
Specific: Divert at least 60 metric tons of recyclable plastics from landfills, drains, and water bodies.
Measurable: Weight of plastics collected and recorded in the digital platform’s inventory logs.
Achievable: Based on projected monthly collection volumes per household and agent capacity.
Relevant: Supports environmental protection and aligns with SDG 12.
Time-Bound: Achieved within the 12-month project cycle.
Result 4: Increased Income for Beneficiaries
Specific: Community collector agents will earn an average monthly income increase of at least 25% compared to baseline earnings.
Measurable: Verified through sales revenue data recorded in the digital platform and periodic beneficiary surveys.
Achievable: Driven by consistent premium payments for quality recyclables.
Relevant: Strengthens livelihoods and reduces economic vulnerability.
Time-Bound: Achieved and maintained by month 6 of operations.
Result 5: Transparent Data and Impact Reporting
Specific: Real-time tracking of collection volumes, household participation rates, carbon emission savings, and revenue distribution.
Measurable: Monthly automated reports generated from the digital platform.
Achievable: Digital tools already integrated into the operational model.
Relevant: Ensures accountability, informs decision-making, and supports scaling efforts.
Time-Bound: Reporting begins from month 1 and continues monthly throughout the project.
Result Monitoring Strategy
The digital platform will serve as the core monitoring tool, automatically capturing and storing data on volumes collected, household engagement, income earned, and environmental impact metrics. Field supervisors will verify data accuracy through periodic spot checks, while quarterly reviews will assess progress against targets. These systems ensure reliable, real-time monitoring and enable timely interventions where needed.
About me / organisation
ADETOLA OPETORITSE
The OMIT Recycling team will be led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, a dynamic and results-driven professional with over a decade of experience managing complex supply chain projects within a global multinational organisation. Over the course of her career, she has successfully overseen large-scale operational deliverables, demonstrating exceptional skills in strategic planning, resource optimization, and stakeholder engagement. Additionally, she holds a masters degree in Environmental management from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.