Waste recycling in Lagos: an artistic strategy

The research developed an artistic strategy to address the issues of carefree waste dumping in Lagos, Nigeria. This was navigated through the direct reuse of waste as art materials, (upcycle) alongside converting polystyrene into a paint substitute (downcycle). My artistic reuse of discarded waste as paints has enabled the creation of paintings and sculptural forms, laced with and featuring motifs, images and symbols which are specific to Nigeria. The repurposed works were then underpinned by a campaign for waste reuse, reduction, recycling, reform, and rethinking. The campaign explored changing attitudes amongst the population and institutions at a state level. The artistic approaches encourage recycling and investigate the potential of litter and waste to become an alternative source of artistic materials in Lagos. The waste appraised includes plastics, polystyrene and its coloured grab-and-go derivatives, cardboard boxes/cartons, serviettes and toilet rolls, sachet water nylons, (pure-water nylon) newspapers, supermarket receipts, maps, tote bags (Ghana-Must-Go) bags and magazine’s collages.

During the research, I replaced regular art materials like acrylic, oil, pastels, and watercolours with waste items as the media of expression. Therefore, the waste materials which had previously been dumped carelessly in Lagos were reclaimed to substitute for regular art materials in artistic rendition. The need for this is important because art materials are prohibitively expensive and scarce in Lagos. Additionally, I also experimented with creating a paint substitute from the dissolved liquids polystyrene and the coloured ‘grab-and-go’ byproducts. This was then used to construct artworks that attempt to inform people about waste’s inherent values and its effects on human well-being and the environment. The outcome served to convey the damaging impacts of the indiscriminate throwaway that harbours sicknesses like malaria, typhoid fever, and cholera. The sicknesses arising from throwaways account for infants’ mortality rate and are deadly for people with reduced immunity in Africa. Also, incessant vehicular traffic and pedestrian gridlocks are traceable in part to the careless waste disposal in Lagos.

Consequently, I developed this artistic strategy to address issues around waste management. This entailed systematically creating a body of drawings, models, paintings and moveable sculptures with waste-repurposed paints. The repurposed experiments/artworks were developed and analysed through reflective practice based on the theories of Donald Schon and David Kolb. The development of the artistic campaign strategy drew on two further theories: grounded and nudge theories. Grounded theory helped to source reports and information (data) from Lagos communities during my fieldwork, campaigns and the created repurposed works to explain human behaviours, thereby minimising my predetermined experiences. Further, given artwork’s emotional attributes in influencing cultures, politics, and the economy, the research also employed nudge theory ideals. The nudge hypothesis looks to positively influence individual behaviour subtly, presenting alternative options without coercion to discourage negative attitudes and conduct. By my attempt at shaping Lagos, which is my focused environment ‘choice architecture’, the careless waste disposal manners which are pronounced in the mainland communities were offered a creative alternative strategy, through the innovative reuse and recycling of waste.

The recycled waste that was repurposed to artworks and created assemblages, served as the campaign resources to encourage the reuse, recycling, rethinking and reclaiming of waste and single-use items in Lagos. This was anchored on the research goals of provoking creative improvisation, interaction, innovation and conversation with the Lagosians and waste managers to profit from the assets embedded in waste and not to see all throwaways as worthless. Consequently, the result promises to increase the possibilities for alternate paints for artists and a cleaner and healthier environment in Lagos.