"Serious Business": Nigerian Lady Turns Plastic Bottles Into Cash, Shows Full Process
- A Nigerian lady, who had been keeping all the plastic bottles from her family’s drinks for a long time, decided to sell them and proudly showed the cash she earned
- The video captured the full process as she and her sister packed the bottles and took them to a buyer
- The sisters worked together, documenting every step of selling the bottles, from packing to receiving cash
A Nigerian lady, who had been keeping all the plastic water bottles from drinks her family bought for a long time, decided to take all the plastic waste bottles to sell and showed off the money she was paid for them.
In the video, the lady was seen holding a bag filled to the brim with used plastic water bottles.
Source: TikTok
Nigerian lady earns money selling empty bottles
Details of the post showed that she had been saving the bottles for a while, and after they had piled up to a huge level, she decided to sell them to a man who buys such items.
The video showed the entire process, including the moment the plastic bottles were weighed and the total amount she earned was paid to her in cash.
She proudly showed off the money in the video, with many people speculating about the total sum.
The individual who shared the post, @_itsempress, documented the incident on her TikTok page, and the video has since gone viral.
She shared the video with the description:
"Transaction going low-key", and a caption that reads:
"My sister decided to keep every bottle of drink the family takes and run a business with Aboki."
The video showed the lady helping her sister pack the bottles, and they both took them to sell.
Source: TikTok
The sister spoke with the buyer, collected the money, and showed it off while the other sister recorded and shared the video online.
Reactions as lady sells plastic bottles
Big Jessy wrote:
"Serious business o."
RI_TA said:
"Aboki no Dey buy am well na so I wan sell 5 black wastebags of Aquafina can aboki say na 300 naira.. na once I tell am make e leave am."
BEST PALMOIL IN LAGOS stated:
"I did this and before i came back from church program my husband don pack ahm give all those aboki wey dy follow lawma/psp bus everything I no fit cry …. Me:daddy wa wetin happen him: mummy wa how much dy wan give you mtcheww."
Anti-Virus 001 added:
"me we don use plastic money buy rizlar and pinch before nothing waste for Lagos."
Cut&Sew by O_ire stated:
"Me sef Dey Dey keep ooo,but e never plenty I just have one sack,but still going."
Blaq explained:
"Aboki will not pay you well. Instead download WASTEBANC and sell to them directly."
Islamiyah revealed:
"I also have lots of bottle and cartons to sell pls an idea of how much they bought one sack of bottle from u ?"
mummy farha shared:
"Aboki no Dey buy well Next tym sell am for those women wey Dey sell oil."
csyandmore noted:
"I been Dey keep am ooo I just think one day say nah the money I go use buy car I burn everything."
To give our audience a deeper perspective, Legit.ng reached out to the lady featured in the viral video for her thoughts on the process and the lessons she has learned.
She revealed that her motivation came from awareness and a desire to make a positive impact:
"I’ve always believed that small actions can create a big impact. Lagos is a huge city, and even where drainage systems exist, they often get blocked by waste. Instead of just throwing bottles away, I chose to save them for recycling. It wasn’t about doing something extraordinary, it was about making a conscious choice every day to contribute positively. Selling the bottles wasn’t the main goal; it was about being part of the change I want to see. Some people even visited our shop to promote recycling, which encouraged me to take this step."
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On the financial aspect, she added:
"We earned 2,500 Naira for what I estimate was around 8 kilograms of bottles. This was the second time we sold bottles - the first sale brought in more, but we decided to try a nearby buyer this time."
She also shared a message for Nigerians about recycling:
"Recycling isn’t just for big organizations or government programs - it starts with us, in our homes, through everyday choices. Every plastic bottle kept out of the gutter or streets is one less piece of waste polluting our environment. Beyond keeping communities cleaner, recycling can also create income and jobs. If more people embrace it, we can protect the environment and foster a culture of responsibility and sustainability for generations to come."
Nigerian sells used water bottles in Europe
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian man living in Europe turned used water bottles into cash, sharing his earnings on TikTok.
The man stated that while his wife was at work, he decided to sell the plastics himself. He contrasted life in Europe and Nigeria, noting that in Europe, every plastic has value, unlike in Nigeria where bottles are often discarded on the streets.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
