Sixty thousand pupils just turned their snack wrappers into school bags.
By Chioma Obinagwam
More than 60,000 primary school pupils across 100 Lagos State schools recovered over one million used MILO wrappers as part of the MILO Elevate Recycling Initiative, timed to coincide with World Environment Day 2026, Confiance News reports.
The school-based initiative combined sustainability education with a recycling competition, giving pupils hands-on exposure to waste management principles, circularity, and responsible environmental behaviour alongside the wrapper collection drive.
Beyond the pitch
MILO, which has supported youth development through grassroots sports programmes for 26 years, positioned the Elevate Recycling Initiative as an extension of that legacy into environmental citizenship.
Gilbert Tweneboah-Koduah, Category Manager for MILO at Nestlé Nigeria Plc, said the brand’s vision for children goes beyond athletic achievement.
”Through the Elevate Recycling Initiative, we are encouraging children to understand that small everyday actions can create meaningful environmental impact. Just as we have inspired generations of future sports champions, we are proud to contribute to raising future climate champions,” he said.
Schools as change agents
Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Deputy Director Stephen Avoseh backed the school-based delivery model, noting that children are effective conduits for spreading environmental awareness within families and communities.
”Implementing this initiative through schools creates an opportunity for children to learn about environmental responsibility and share these lessons with their families and communities,” Avoseh said.
The ripple effect was already visible among participants. Pupil Treasure John told reporters that the programme sharpened her understanding of how improper waste disposal fuels flooding and pollution, and had prompted her to adopt more careful waste habits.
Wrappers turned into school supplies
In a practical demonstration of circular economy principles, the Rotaract District 9112 led an upcycling project that transformed the recovered wrappers into 1,013 items, including school bags, lunch bags, and pencil cases. The items were donated to participating schools and awarded to top-performing pupils.
The initiative, as gathered by Confiance News, feeds into Nestlé Nigeria’s broader sustainability agenda, which targets the values, behaviours, and community awareness needed to advance a cleaner and more circular future for Nigeria.
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