We Are Not Assuming Resources Are Infinite

Anita Odiete is a sustainability entrepreneur, circular economy advocate, and the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Atunlo Sustainability Technologies, one of Nigeria's most recognized forces in sustainable waste management and recycling.

Before pivoting to sustainability, Odiete spent nearly a decade leading digital and fintech projects across Africa's top financial institutions, including a tenure as a product lead at Flutterwave. It was the realization that recycling could become a vehicle for economic empowerment that led her to leave corporate life and build something with purpose.

Under her leadership, Atunlo has recycled hundreds of millions of plastic bottles, disbursed over ₦850 million directly to community collectors and agents, created more than 10,000 jobs, and covered the educational expenses of over 150 students through its Green Club recycling program.

She continues to speak highly of the Green Club and their creativity that comes from waste. The company operates across Lagos, Ibadan, Kwara, Imo, and beyond, while turning what most see as waste into wages, scholarships, and raw materials.

A recipient of the WAMASON Award for Leadership in Circular Economy, Odiete is a vocal advocate for sustainability education in schools, ESG accountability in corporations, and government policy that treats waste as the resource it truly is.

What is Atunlo? What does it mean? 

Atunlo is Yoruba for "we have reused it." We did not want to use a name that was just random. We wanted it to have a deep meaning. So that was what my co-founder came up with, because left to me, I was just going to use a cute English name. 

Can you give us a brief on what Atunlo does?

We're trying to empower people to understand that the resources you have today are not infinite. If you continue to use them the way you do, you will have nothing left for future generations.  

So it's just understanding: how can we support everyone, from individuals to communities and corporations, to adopt practices that ensure we are preserving the environment for future generations to come?

 And we do this using three pillars. One of them is advocacy. 

The focus is really on teaching the next generation and empowering them to become eco-champions. From inception, we've sensitized over 520,000 people, from community sensitization to teaching corporations on sustainable waste management, to teaching schools. 

Commercialization is literally how we're converting this waste into valuable raw materials for manufacturers or into an actual end product. For example, if we collect plastic bottles and a manufacturer says they want it in flakes, we process it into flakes and offtake it to the manufacturer. 

The third pillar is governance. That's where we work with policymakers to develop or track policies aimed at reducing plastic pollution in the environment.  

What drew you into the sustainability space? Have you always been drawn to it?

I wanted to work on something different and unique.  I used to work as a product lead at Flutterwave. I was enjoying my job. 

One of my friends, who is my co-founder, reached out to say he wanted to start a recycling business and that he thought I'd be a great partner. I'm like, "John is talking about recycling again. What does it entail?"

When he explained it to me, I thought: actually, my dad does some form of recycling, he makes nylon bags out of a mixture of pure water sachet bottles and gallons. So when my co-founder said it, I'm like, "Okay, I guess we can do this."

 We started doing research: I read up on the SDGs. I found that it wasn't just recycling anymore. It was saving the planet. It was taking care of people. It was ensuring that we're not assuming resources are infinite. It's ensuring we're playing our part.

Since we started, we've created over 8,000 jobs. We've disbursed more than 600 million naira to people in exchange for plastic bottles. 

What inspired the three-pronged approach: advocacy, commercialization, and governance?

My co-founder, Ayo Ogunlowo, and I are structured people. While we were coming up with what we'd be doing, what numbers we'd be tracking, and what the plan is for the next 2 to 20 years, we needed to think through how we'd operate.

We knew there needed to be a lot of education and awareness. What's one word that covers education and awareness? Advocacy.

 Then we knew we would convert the plastics we collect into valuable raw materials or end products. We needed a word that encompasses everything we're doing in the factory. That's how we arrived at commercialization. 

And then, for governance, we also knew there was another aspect of what we're doing: working with policymakers and the people in charge of creating policies to reduce waste at the source. 

Creating those three pillars was about outlining our major operational activities and then finding the one word that describes a group of related activities. That's how we came up with the three pillars.

How has working in this space changed your everyday life and habits?

One new thing I'm doing now is not throwing plastics and other recyclable materials away, because I know they pollute the environment. I would rather give it to someone who will process it, or someone for whom that's their source of income.

In terms of career, being in this line of work has opened my eyes to things I never thought about before. Things like ESG policies.

 I also never thought about carbon emissions before. Are companies even tracking those things? Is there a plan to reduce them? If I have staff all driving to work, why don't we get a bus to pick them up? These are things I never would have thought about before entering this space. It really changed how I see corporate life entirely.

What are some of the challenges you've faced building Atulno, and how have you overcome them?

The number-one challenge we've faced is the cost of materials.

 When we started Atunlo, we'd get bottles at around 60 naira per kg. Right now, they're as high as 400-500 naira per kg. One of the major reasons is that non-Nigerians have come into this space.

These nationals are meant to buy what we've processed, but they eventually go to the people we buy from and hike the price to the point where it becomes almost impossible for us to buy. However, loyalty has sometimes worked in our favor. 

There's also the issue of seasons. During the rainy season, offtakers don't want to buy because plastics are scarce. People don't drink as much water when it's cold.

We also ensure we're collecting other types of plastics, like household plastics (whose prices are more stable), since they're usually not in demand. We try to ensure there's always a balance.

 We've had to have creative conversations with agents: can you collect other types of plastics too? Can you collect metals? That way, we can generate enough to cover salaries and invest in more expansion.

Have you faced any challenges with the advocacy side? With getting people to receive the message?

I wouldn't even say it's a big challenge. Most people are receptive when they see the value for themselves. When we go to a school and say we want to do all this, they become skeptical. But when we start actually doing it, they're like, "You were not lying!" And everybody starts bringing plastic.

 The moment Nigerians see that you measured the plastic, you weighed it, and you sent money immediately, they call everybody. 

What advice do you share with women you meet, and what actionable steps can young women take to live more sustainably?

First, think through the different types of waste in your house today.

Part of the assignments we gave our students in the recycling club included upcycling. Use something that is already used to make something else. One student used an old jacket to make really cute travel bags. 

For plastics, sort them and find someone close to you who can come and pick them up. In Lagos, there are a couple of recyclers. There's Waste Bank, BNC, Junkyard, do your research. 

Shop mindfully: There's something called fast fashion (you're buying things you wear for maybe six months and then throw away). Buy things that are actually of good quality. 

Support people who have eco-friendly practices, and instead of throwing clothes away, donate them. 

And if you have children around you, teach them. We teach our Green Club kids the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. 

 If you have a platform, if people listen to you, use it. Take action. “Charity begins at home”, as they say.

Do you believe sustainability plays a role in wellness? Do you see a connection between the two?

That's an interesting question I've never actually thought about. But yes. I think sustainability and wellness are very deeply connected. Living sustainably enhances your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

What's your dream for the future of sustainable innovation in Nigeria and Africa?

I have big dreams. I want a Nigeria where children understand everything about sustainability. Sustainability needs to be a subject. There's no reason it should not be taught in schools.

For corporations, I want policies that ensure they're thinking through their carbon emissions, their environmental impact. You have all these companies producing fossil fuels and disposing of waste into rivers that seep into community drinking water.

My overall vision for Nigeria in terms of sustainable innovation is for everyone to see waste as a resource. Nobody ever sees waste as something to just throw away.

In ten years, what do you want people to think of when they hear Atunlo?

In ten years, I want people to think of Atunlo as the powerhouse that transformed sustainability in Africa. From building a waste-for-economy model, to creating millions of green jobs, to raising the next generation of eco champions.

 The way people say, "Are you on Instagram?" we want to be that. We want the name behind recycling or sustainability in Nigeria and in Africa.

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