In a world where waste pollution threatens both the environment and public health, innovative solutions are key to building a sustainable future. Retreasure is redefining recycling in Nigeria with its Recycle Smart System (R.S.S.), a technology-driven approach that incentivizes waste separation at the source. By converting recyclables into financial rewards such as cash, airtime, and bill payment vouchers. Retreasure is not only reducing waste but also empowering communities and fostering a circular economy. In this interview, we explore the vision behind Retreasure, its impact, and how it is making recycling more accessible, rewarding, and scalable.

1. Can you Introduce yourself and your role at Retreasure?

Thank you, My name is Gideon FAKOLADE. I am the CEO at Retreasure, a community-based organisation that leverages tech-driven Recycle Smart System (RSS) for streamlining waste-separation from source and enhancing the commercial recovery of recyclable waste at scale while maximising value delivery to community members and other stakeholders in the recycling ecosystem by turning waste into rewards like cash, airtime, and payment vouchers to settle wide range of bills  including the cowry card wallet ecosystem lagride, BRT, lagferry as well as IKEDISCO electricity bills, GOTV cable subscription, etc.

2.  What inspired the creation of Retreasure, and what key challenges in waste management does your organization aim to solve?

A few years ago, during my National Youth Service Corps program, I witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of climate change floods destroying properties and lives, while vast amounts of recyclable materials were discarded as waste. This reinforced a simple yet powerful truth: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The desire to transform waste from a burden into an opportunity for value creation led to the birth of Retreasure.

The recycling sector struggles with low community engagement due to the lack of an inclusive system for commercial waste recovery and source separation. Retreasure bridges this gap with the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S), an embedded technology that makes recycling accessible, inclusively rewarding, and scalable. By turning waste into cash, airtime, and bill payment vouchers, we empower communities to participate in a sustainable waste-to-wealth ecosystem.

 3. How does your innovative waste-separation system work, and what makes it different from conventional recycling methods?

We leverage our tech-driven Recycle Smart System (R.S.S) to empower communities by turning waste into rewards like cash, airtime, and payment vouchers to settle wide range of bills from the cowry card wallet including lagride, BRT, lagferry, IKEDISCO electricity bills, GOTV cable subscription, etc. R.S.S simplifies waste separation at the source, creating impactful, scalable recycling solutions. You can watch a short (2-minutes) Demo of R.S.S here: https://bit.ly/RSSDemo2mins

R.S.S uses embedded systems technology to offer Point-of-Sales (P.O.S), Storage and Logistics Solution for Recycling Services.

Imagine a system that empowers Community Recycling Partners to make money from waste-to-wealth transactions much like how community POS agents make money from banking transactions; that’s what our R.S.S does.

4.  What strategies have you implemented to encourage waste separation at the source within communities?

We use R.S.S to empower people in starting recycling business, turning waste into rewards like cash, airtime, and vouchers while creating impact as Community Partners/Agents. Much like how the financial services sector was transformed by point-of-sales (POS) embedded systems which bridged the gap for the unbanked population. Our RSS collects and weighs separated wastes, and rewards Users with Cash, Airtime, Vouchers for Bills Payment etc. as benefits for aiding waste-separation from source.

👉Merchants gets started as Community Recycling Partners in three (3) simple steps, by completing this short form https://www.retreasureafrica.com/register-partner

We support merchants with community recycling rallies, a marketing & publicity event to sensitize and enlist community members for active recycling participation.

5.  How does Retreasure enhance the commercial recovery of recyclable waste, and what impact has this had on waste management in Nigeria?

As a community-based organisation, Retreasure created an embedded system called “Recycle Smart System (R.S.S)” for community members’ access, inclusion and rewards from participation in commercial recovery and separation of waste from source so community members can earn money from waste-to-wealth transactions. We work with Community Partners/Agents to empower people, make profits, and sustain the planet—one community at a time! We are currently active in two (2) communities, Ogba Community as well as Agidingbi Community and we are on track to replicating the R.S.S in new LGAs, States of Nigeria and beyond in the near future.

6.  What role do community members play in your recycling ecosystem, and how do they benefit from participating?

Community members are key players in our recycling ecosystem, benefiting from waste-to-wealth transactions via the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S). Each user is allocated Scrates (Smart Recycling Crates) and an access card for seamless waste separation and recovery. They earn cash, airtime, and bill payment vouchers while keeping their environment clean.

Through Community Recycling Partners (CRPs), members can also start a recycling business, much like POS agents in financial services, earning from transactions. We further drive engagement with community recycling rallies, fostering awareness and participation in the circular economy.

7. What are the biggest challenges in scaling waste recovery efforts, and how is Retreasure overcoming them?

Scaling waste recovery faces challenges such as low awareness, inadequate infrastructure, and high logistics costs. Retreasure tackles these by leveraging the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S) to simplify waste separation, reward participation, and streamline collection.

Our approach includes:

1. Decentralized network of Community Recycling Partners (CRPs) a.k.a Merchants to reduce logistics costs,
2. Smart Wagon, Scrates and access cards integrated with Digital Platform for structured waste trading, and
3. Community recycling rallies for awareness.

By making recycling services accessible, inclusively rewarding, and scalable, we are driving sustainable waste recovery across communities.

8.  How do you collaborate with stakeholders such as local governments, businesses, and recycling companies to maximize value in the ecosystem?

We collaborate with local governments, businesses, and recycling companies to strengthen the recycling value chain. Through public-private partnerships, we integrate the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S) into waste management initiatives, promoting source separation and efficient recovery.

Businesses engage with us to meet sustainability goals, while recycling companies benefit from a steady supply of sorted recyclables. Local governments support our community recycling rallies and awareness campaigns, ensuring broader adoption. By aligning rewarding impacts across stakeholders, we create a scalable, impact-driven recycling ecosystem.

9.  What measurable impact has Retreasure made in terms of waste diversion, economic benefits, or environmental sustainability?

Retreasure has diverted over 48 tons of recyclables from landfills and waterways with only two Community Recycling Partners (CRPs) in six months of market testing, a figure that can skyrocket upon market adoption. This has significantly reduced pollution and mitigated flood risks.

Through the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S), we have empowered close to 400 community users with economic benefits, distributing cash rewards, airtime, and bill payment vouchers for waste recovery efforts. Our CRPs have also generated sustainable income, creating new green jobs and fostering local entrepreneurship.

By promoting source separation and circular economy practices, Retreasure is driving long-term environmental sustainability and economic inclusion at scale.

10.  What policies or industry changes do you believe would further support community-based recycling efforts in Nigeria?

To strengthen community-based recycling in Nigeria, key policy and industry reforms that will accelerate market adoption, making recycling more accessible, inclusively rewarding, and sustainable for communities should include:

1. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – Collaboration between government, recyclers, and businesses to scale innovative waste management models like the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S).
2. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Enforcement – Stronger enforcement requiring manufacturers to support collection and recycling of their packaging waste, creating a sustainable funding model for recyclers.
3. Incentive-Based Recycling Policies – Government-backed reward programs for households and businesses that practice source separation, making recycling more attractive.
4. Subsidized Infrastructure & Grants – Investment in recycling infrastructure, such as community drop-off points, smart collection hubs, and low-cost transportation solutions, obtainable in the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S) to ease logistics challenges.
5. Stronger Waste Management Regulations – Clearer policies on waste separation at the source, with compliance incentives and penalties for improper disposal, to drive adoption at the grassroots level.

11. How does Retreasure ensure transparency and efficiency in tracking waste from collection to recycling?

Retreasure ensures transparency and efficiency in tracking waste from collection to recycling through the Recycle Smart System (R.S.S)—a tech-driven solution that enables real-time data capture, automated weighing, and digital transaction records for every waste recovery activity.

Each user is assigned a pair of Scrates (Smart bags for waste separation from source) and an access card, ensuring proper waste attribution and traceability. Our verifiable digital data platform, designed and deployed in collaboration with Touch and Pay Technologies (the makers of Cowry Cards), provides accurate tracking, reporting, and verification of collected recyclables.

This system guarantees accountability for recyclers, merchants, and community users, ensuring that waste recovery is measurable, efficient, and impactful within the circular economy.