Ifedolapo Runsewe is tackling Nigeria’s tyre waste. She turns discarded tyres into useful products and jobs through FREEE Recycle Limited.
In Nigerian cities, piles of discarded vehicle tyres are a common sight, often dumped in waterways, abandoned on streets, or burnt in the open air. For decades, the problem has grown unchecked in sme cities, with little large-scale recycling infrastructure in place.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, the western part of Nigeria, one company has set out to change this: FREEE Recycle Limited. Founded by Ifedolapo Runsewe, the company is working to turn what was once considered waste into usable products, offering both environmental and economic value.
Before moving into recycling, Runsewe built her career in banking and telecommunications. She worked with institutions such as Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Access Bank, both in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Her shift towards recycling began with a recognition of the hazards associated with tyre disposal.
She has recalled seeing tyres routinely set on fire as a quick means of disposal. The health risks and environmental impact of this practice prompted her to explore alternative solutions. By 2018, she had formally registered FREEE Recycle, and by 2020, the company had begun operations at its Ibadan facility.
The firm’s operations
The company operates from a five-acre facility in Ibadan. According to industry reports, the plant houses equipment that can process rubber crumb at around 1,450 kilogrammes per hour, alongside tile and mat production lines. So far, the company says it has recycled more than 250,000 tyres, reducing the need for tyre burning and lowering the risk of soil and water contamination. The products, which include tiles, mats and paving materials, are sold to construction firms and households seeking cost-effective alternatives.
Social and environmental impact
Beyond recycling, FREEE Recycle has run vocational training schemes for young people and women, including footwear-making initiatives in partnership with corporate organisations. These programmes are designed to equip individuals with skills that can generate income and increase participation in the expanding green economy.
FREEE Recycle has drawn attention from both local and international media. The company has also attracted investment partnerships reported to be worth over $5 million, aimed at scaling up production and extending the market for its recycled products.
At a national level, tyre waste remains a significant issue. Nigeria disposes of millions of tyres each year, and the practice of burning them persists in several communities. As Nigeria continues to experience tyre waste challenges, the work of entrepreneurs such as Ifedolapo Runsewe continues to close the gap. She has said that her long-term ambition is for FREEE Recycle to process up to two million tyres annually, a scale that would make a measurable difference to Nigeria’s waste landscape.
