Events
BAT launches a Sustainability Show Corner to affirm its Commitment to the Environment
L- R: Waseem Hayat, Operations Director (BAT West & Central Africa); Valentine Ebikade, EHS Manager (BAT West & Central Africa); Odiri Erewa-Meggison, External Affairs Director (BAT West & Central Africa) at the launch of the Sustainability Show Corner at the BAT Factory in Ibadan.
British American Tobacco in West and Central Africa (BAT) has launched a sustainability show corner at the company’s state-of-the-art factory in Ibadan. The project is evidence of stellar results from its investments in sustainability and an affirmation of the company’s commitment to the environment.
The sustainability corner exhibits several end products obtained from the recycling of waste generated at the Ibadan factory. Some of these include tissue paper, local farm equipment, organic manure, egg crates, throw pillows, among others. Located within the factory’s reception, the Sustainability Show Corner is quite a beautiful space and serves as a reminder and motivation to employees and factory visitors, of the possibilities and value inherent in sustainability practice.
In her comments at the launch, Odiri Erewa-Meggison the External Affairs Director for BAT West and Central Africa said;
‘The Sustainability Show Corner is an expression of our commitment to a sustainable planet and shows how the company is powering forward and evolving a closed circular economy by recycling all classes of waste generated in Ibadan factory into local usable products”.
Waseem Hayat, Operations Director for BAT West and Central Africa, who was also present at the launch, stated that;
“The exhibition of these materials helps tell the story of how we at the BAT Ibadan factory are creating a sustainable production ecosystem as part of our contribution to building a better tomorrow and putting sustainability at front and center across all our operations.”
The company began partnering with local organizations in 2019 to implement the recycling of waste materials such as paper and plastics. The end products on display at the sustainability corner, show that beyond repurposing waste material, the initiative is also creating new capacities among implementation partners and employees in the local community.
British American Tobacco (BAT) announced its evolved global strategy in March 2020, which revealed the company’s clear purpose to build a better tomorrow by reducing the health impact of the business as it committed to providing adult consumers with a wide range of enjoyable and less risky products.
A crucial component of the evolved strategy is the expansion of the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities. This involves accelerating previous targets at addressing climate change and maintaining excellence in environmental management, delivering a positive social impact, and ensuring robust corporate governance as the company makes sustainability front and center in all its activities.
The expanded ESG priorities underlie the company’s determination and urgency in implementing other sustainability initiatives besides the waste recycling program. These include initiatives to improve energy efficiency and eliminate environmental pollution, which comprise an independent power plant that runs on gas rather than diesel, and the ongoing conversion of fleet vehicles from petrol fuel to Compressed Natural Gas.
BAT achieved 100 percent waste recycling and zero waste to landfill at its Ibadan factory in March 2021.
Sponsored Content
