If you walk into a Fidelity Bank office today, you might notice something different, not in the branding or the service, but in something as ordinary as a bin. What used to be discarded paper, plastic, or old promotional T-shirt now tells a new story. One of responsibilty. One of innovation. One of change.
But this story didn’t start big. It began quietly, in a backroom full of files.
Back in 2018, the Archives team at Fidelity was grappling with a growing mountain of old documents. The usual method was to wait out the retention period and then destroy the paper, often by burning or shredding. But that approach was not only energy-draining and wasteful; it also didn’t sit well with the team’s conscience. One of them picked up the phone and asked a simple, powerful question: “Can we turn this waste into something useful?”
That moment of curiosity sparked what is now known bank-wide as the Waste to Cash initiative.
The Waste Problem We’re Facing
Ghana generates over 12,000 tonnes of solid waste every day, with Accra alone contributing more than 3,000 tonnes daily. Yet, only a fraction of this waste is properly collected and recycled. Most of it ends up in landfills or waterways, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide, and contributing to flooding and public health risks.
At Fidelity, we knew we had a role to play. But more importantly, we saw an opportunity: what if the paper we threw away could be repurposed? What if our internal waste could become part of a solution?
Turning a Problem into a Possibility
The initial step was modest: connect with local recycling companies to convert shredded documents into tissue rolls. But even that small shift sparked something. Staff who once thought nothing of tossing paper now saw their own contributions turned into something useful.
“We displayed stacks of tissue rolls in the canteen with signs saying, ‘This came from your own waste.’ That moment changed everything,” recalls Ibrahim Coker from the Sustainability team.
From there, the initiative grew, first within the Archives unit, then across departments, and eventually across the bank. By 2022, with the formation of the Sustainability Department, Waste to Cash became a formal, bank-wide initiative. In 2023, it rolled out in full.
Not Just a Bin. It’s A Culture Shift
This wasn’t just about putting a few colour-coded bins in place (though that was part of it). It was about relearning habits and redefining value.
At first, staff were hesitant. “It was a culture shock,” says Ibrahim Coker, Sustainable Operations Advisor, Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited. “We were used to tossing everything in one bin. Suddenly, we had to think, paper in one, plastic in another, organic waste separately.” But through awareness sessions, ongoing training, and small wins, the change took root. Even janitorial staff were trained to help with segregation, and departments began taking ownership of the process.
Today, you will find those bins at strategic points across the bank, in kitchenettes, canteens, and office spaces. And behind those bins is a growing understanding that waste is not just something to be discarded. It’s a resource.
More Than Paper: A Circular Economy in Action
The initiative has since expanded beyond paper. Fidelity now recycles plastic waste, e-waste, and even old campaign T-shirts, transforming them into soundproof panels for meeting rooms. These panels, which now feature in some office spaces, are made using a blend of orange and white materials from Fidelity’s own branded T-shirts.
It’s not just innovation. It’s identity.
What’s more, staff have begun bringing recyclable waste from their homes, recognizing the value of what they used to throw away. And some Fidelity customers, engaged during site visits, are also joining the movement, incorporating recycling practices into their own businesses.
The Results: Tangible and Transformative
The impact is twofold. Internally, the initiative is saving the bank money, reducing procurement costs for things like tissue rolls, and lessening reliance on waste disposal vendors. Externally, it’s positioning Fidelity as a leader in sustainable finance and operations.
Recognition has followed. In 2024, Fidelity won several awards for environmental stewardship, including the Resource Efficiency Award from the Health, Environment, Safety and Security (HESS) group and the Sustainable Bank of the Year Award from EuroMoney. But for the team driving this change, the real reward is in the shift they see every day, in people’s minds and behaviours.
“There’s no greenwashing here,” says Ibrahim Coker. “When auditors or visitors come in, they see the bins, the recycled products, the reports. The work is visible and it’s working.”
What’s Next: From Fidelity to the Future
The Sustainability team isn’t stopping here. The next frontier is education. Under the Orange Impact initiative, Fidelity Bank is working with partner schools to introduce waste segregation practices early – teaching students to see waste not as rubbish, but as raw material.
Last year, students took part in an upcycling competition, turning sachet rubbers, paper, and plastic waste into products like raincoats, shopping bags, and even scale models of excavators. They were judged, awarded, and inspired to keep going.
Because if we can embed sustainability into our future leaders, we’ll be solving tomorrow’s problems today.
Starting Small, Thinking Big
Fidelity’s Waste to Cash journey proves something simple: you don’t need to wait for perfect conditions to do the right thing. You can start small: one department, one office, even one bin at a time. Over time, it becomes a culture. A way of thinking. A habit that spreads.
This isn’t just a story about turning waste into tissue rolls or soundproof boards. It’s about changing the way we think about the things we throw away. It’s about seeing potential where others see problems.
It’s about turning waste into cash.
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