Dr. Natalie Beinisch is a co-founder of the Circular Economy Innovation Partnership. She is a leader in creating opportunities for circular businesses in Nigeria.

CEIP connects circular businesses with sponsors and measures success through impactful connections. By providing valuable support, CEIP builds trust, fulfils its mission, and advises circular businesses to stay relevant from a stakeholder perspective.

1. Good day! Can we have a detailed introduction of who you are, your name, and the key role you play at CEIP?

My name is Natalie Beinisch, and I am a co-founder of the Circular Economy Innovation Partnership. It is an organisation that focuses on building opportunities for circular businesses in Nigeria.

2. What services do you offer specifically for recycling businesses?

As I said earlier, we focus on building opportunities and providing support to circular businesses. We provide an avenue to link circular businesses with sponsors.

3. How do you measure the impact and effectiveness of your support for recycling businesses?

To be honest, measuring our success hasn’t been an easy one, but one thing for a fact is that other people’s success is our success. One of our KPIs is connecting circular businesses with sponsors and developing an ecosystem suitable for circular businesses. So if it aligns with our KPI, then it is our success.

4. What strategies do you use to help circular businesses overcome challenges and achieve their goals?

In this industry of the circular economy, there are several problems, but one thing we can do to conquer challenges for circular businesses is to provide innovative programmes, partnership events, and engagement platforms for them.

5. Can you share any testimonials or success stories from recycling businesses you have worked with?

CEIP has a longer-term partnership between Nigeria and Greece. We also have partnerships with some sponsors who specialise in zero-waste policy.

6. How do you ensure that the support provided to circular businesses is beneficial to your organisation?

The services we offer have given us the leverage to build trust with our partners, and they have also helped us fulfil our mission and serve our clients.

7. What advice would you like to give eco-businesses, and how would it be relevant from a stakeholder perspective?

I will answer this last question with a scenario: imagine being on a track where there are different runners. Now bear in mind that this race is not a sprint but a marathon, so getting into the circular business space is a marathon game and not a sprint race. Then we come in as cheerleaders and those who give water to the participants because they have to stay hydrated.

If you think of getting into this space, make sure you are ready for the hard work that comes with it, because it is a marathon race.