GAMBIA – British non-governmental organization (NGO) WasteAid in collaboration with Plastic Recycling Gambia has launched a project to boost the country’s circular economy and support local waste collection and recycling.
The project is funded by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (NREF), which supports national and international projects to reduce plastic pollution, increase plastic recycling and reduce the consumption of plastic bags.
Set to run for the next two years, the project will involve the training of collector groups, setting up collection infrastructure, behavior change campaigns as well as business training support to Plastics Recycling Gambia to help expand the business.
Marie Krubally, WasteAid’s NREF project manager, says: “We’re excited to be working with private sector entrepreneurs like Plastics Recycling Gambia to help solve a critical environmental problem.
“Plastic waste is causing a major environmental crisis in The Gambia, and this initiative will divert more than 140 metric tons of plastic diverted away from landfill each year.”
Krubally explained that by supporting the growth of the recycling facility, WasteAid is helping to improve the outlook of the surrounding communities by creating job opportunities and addressing the causes of pollution and health issues.
“Our mission is to change people’s attitudes and behavior so that they can think of the value in the things they currently throw away,” continued Krubally.
The scheme is driving the recovery of recyclables by reducing the amount of plastic that is either dumped or burned but also helps build sustainable income streams for waste collectors.
WasteAid says that The Gambia is one of the few countries committed to meeting the Paris Agreement to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Alongside reducing climate emissions, the Ministry of Environment is focused on protecting the country’s natural resources and building resilience to climate shocks such as drought and floods, asserts the charity.
Mr. Sowe, founder of Plastics Recycling Gambia set up his recycling company in 2019 and following challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he received support from a previous WasteAid program sponsored by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management to support Gambian “wastrepreneurs.”
Local plastic shortage
Sow’s facility is said to be the only organized collection service of high-density plastic in The Gambia.
Once collected, larger companies like GamPlast can process them. GamPlast currently imports recycled plastics from outside the region, as it cannot source high-density plastic locally without improvements in the collection system.
Plastics Recycling Gambia currently collects 15 metric tonnes of hard plastic a month from 21 collection points across the region, providing income for up to 21 waste collectors who collect and bag the plastics.
Sowe concludes: “I’m very grateful to WasteAid and NREF for their support which will be transformational for our business and will have a big impact on removing more plastic from our environment.”
“We are hoping that by reaching our target of recycling 50 metric tonnes of plastic every month, we will be able to reinvest the small profit to ensure the organic growth of the company, which will include expanding to other regions.”
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