We aim to support 20,000 recycling businesses within 10 years, says Freee Recycle MD

Freetown Waste Management Recycle Limited, a Nigerian tyre recycling company, has changed its name to FREEE Recycle Limited.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of its new corporate identity on Wednesday, Ifedolapo Runsewe, the company’s managing director, said the name change signalled the commencement of a pan-African push.

“It will also align our now internationally recognised brand with our corporate identity,” Runsewe said.

“We are Nigerians, and we care about our environment enough to do something about it.

“I am proud to say that Freetown Waste has steadily evolved from an operation that began in a Nigerian city to a world-class organisation that is pivotal to the development of the practice of recycling in Africa.”

“Lastly, I am proud to introduce FREEE Impact Foundation, which was borne as a new initiative through which the advocacy and intervention programmes of the company and its proposed local and international subsidiaries would be executed.”

Highlighting the company’s achievements since it began operations in 2020, Runsewe said its recycling activities have resulted in the “prevention of over 1,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, prevented an estimated 1,980 malaria-related mortalities [while] creating an entire value chain of operations.”

“We have over 400,000 waste tyres on-site and as of today have recycled over 110,000 waste tyres; producing more than 330,000MT of crumb rubber used in the manufacture of our FREEE rubber products,” she added.

“As of today, we have so many tyres on site that they can be seen from space through Google Earth.

“Freetown Waste currently employs over 150 full-time staff and has over 200 agents & indirect staff including waste tyres suppliers. 

“Our operating site supports over 100 businesses through the development of distribution and retail channels for our FREEE rubber products.

“We currently project that the company would support at least 20,000 businesses over the next 10 years.

“We intend to leverage our value chain and in-country experience for the establishment of multiple waste recycling facilities and expand its recycling and manufacturing operations into every state in Nigeria and into six African countries, including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt thereby, growing profitability through our FREEE Franchise Program.”

On her part, Gladys Quist-Adebiyi, the company’s chairman, said Freetown Waste remained committed to providing innovative solutions to environmental issues of waste management by creating sustainable value for manufacturing rubber products through the recycling of waste tyres.