AFRICAN Extracts, a local start-up, has pioneered an eco-friendly method to manage tobacco waste, which was previously discarded in ways that harmed the environment.
During a tour of the company’s nicotine extraction plant in Harare, chief executive Sunny Singh explained that converting tobacco waste into nicotine promotes environmental sustainability.
“We currently generate 1 200 metric tons of waste monthly, which is often disposed of unsafely used as manure or soil conditioner. This is problematic because it indirectly releases nicotine into the soil, which we then inhale,” Singh said.