Aimed at businesses committed to implementing circular waste and recycling initiatives, WasteAid’s Waste to Use Challenge, part of a project funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), plays a significant role in developing innovative green businesses and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Developing Green Businesses

In October 2024 the second Waste to Use Challenge selected 6 finalists from a pool of high quality applicants. The finalists are all developing sustainable business models that see the value in waste and promote the circular economy.

NAACO

NAACO Enterprise, founded in 2019 by Alfusainey Sey and Fabakary Jammeh, transform organic waste into high-quality compost to address waste management and agricultural challenges in The Gambia.

Alfusainey Sey and Fabakary Jammeh of NAACO

With expertise in sustainable farming and business management, NAACO will work with marketplaces and fishing communities to divert organic waste from landfills, creating an organic fertiliser as an affordable alternative to chemical fertilisers. To meet growing demand, NAACO plans to scale up operations by establishing a large-scale composting facility, forming partnerships for steady waste collection, and enhancing production methods.

NAACO also focuses on empowering women farmers through training in soil management, creating jobs, and promoting sustainable agriculture to alleviate poverty and environmental harm.

Precious Plastics

Precious Plastic Gambia is a social enterprise dedicated to combating plastic pollution while empowering local communities in The Gambia. By transforming waste into valuable products like furniture, household items, and construction materials, the business promotes environmental conservation and economic growth.

Boubacar Camara, Precious Plastics

Led by Boubacar Camara and a skilled team, it provides job opportunities, skills training, and educational programs to uplift marginalised groups, especially youth and women. Though having only launched production in May 2024 it’s success has meant Precious Plastic Gambia is scaling planning on operations, expanding product lines, and building a circular economy.

If successful, the Waste To Use seed funding would go towards growing its workforce, increasing production, and establishing additional recycling hubs, further driving positive environmental and social change across the region.

Señorita

Señorita is an innovative upcycling business in The Gambia, transforming discarded car tires and fabric scraps into eco-friendly products such as furniture, accessories, reusable bags, and home décor. Led by founder Maimuna Ndure, a climate change activist, the business promotes sustainability, affordability, and community empowerment.

Maimuna Ndure, Señorita

By offering affordable, durable products to diverse customers, including small businesses, vendors, and eco-conscious individuals, Señorita reduces environmental pollution while creating jobs and supporting gender equality. With Waste To Use Funding, they have plans to scale production, expand marketing, and improve logistics.

Their primary market is hotels and tourists, which is The Gambia’s largest industry, and they are fast becoming a leader in the upcycling and eco-friendly sector, driving positive environmental and social impact.

CASA Gambia

CASA Gambia is a community-driven organization dedicated to addressing plastic pollution and promoting sustainable waste management practices in The Gambia. Through initiatives such as school-based waste segregation programs, composting, and community awareness campaigns, CASA Gambia aims to instil environmentally responsible behaviours and create employment opportunities for youth.

CASA Gambia

Led by a team with expertise in education, climate change, and community development, the project leverages partnerships with local councils and recycling firms to implement practical and scalable waste solutions. By integrating environmental education with hands-on waste collection and recycling activities, CASA Gambia empowers young people, promotes gender equity, and contributes to a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.

Yaws Creations

Yaws Creations, since 2007, has been driving and influencing art and design through Fashion. Yaws Creations is a well-known business throughout The Gambia with both local and international customers, selling unique designs and creations.

Awa Conateh, Yaws Creations

Awa Conateh is the creative director, she has 17 years’ experience as a fashion designer, events planner and business owner. Whilst already having a successful business, Awa is keen to expand and in doing so she wants to support the waste management issues in The Gambia and globally, by utilising textiles waste to create new fashion items.

If successful, she will use the Waste to Use seed funding to employ and train local residents in patchworking, purchase machinery to produces the design and instigate a transport system for obtaining textile waste from local tailors. She also aims to use her social media presence to advertise and promote textiles recycling and upcycling.

Sidrah Salam

Musa SIllah is the CEO and founder of Sidrah Salam, a Food and Agriculture company specialising in contract farming and processing, which was established in 2021. His business requires high quality organic fertiliser to grow crops.

Musa SIllah, Sidrah Salam

With a background in engineering, he was able to design and build a machine to grind groundnut husks, an abundant source of food waste in The Gambia. Traditionally groundnut husk was ground by hand, which is time and labour intensive. When machine ground, the husk becomes an affordable and effective addition to composting which has been proven to increase decomposition time and improve the quality of fertiliser.

With Waste to Use seed funding, Sidrah Salam will expand their groundnut husk production to sell to local farmers to improve composting and quality of the crop yield and reduce dependence on costly imported chemical fertilisers.

Nurturing Innovation

All the green businesses and entrepreneurs have been supported with a programme of mentoring and business training, provided through the Circular Economy Network, leading up to the opportunity to pitch for a share of £12,000GBP seed funding for scaling their business.

The Waste to Use Challenge nurtures innovative businesses that support the circular economy, and are pioneering ways to recover, reuse and divert as much waste as possible from landfill to develop their businesses, as well as creating much needed livelihoods for people in poverty.

Congratulations to all the finalists, and our thanks to all members of the Circular Economy Network for their engagement and contributions to this project.

Most people in Sulayman Darboe’s position would be considering a comfortable office job with all the security that goes along with it. However, the 26-year-old Gambian has never been one to follow the crowd. The first one of his family to go to university, he has his sights set on far loftier ambitions – playing a role in improving the air quality, health and opportunities in rural communities by providing a greener alternative to burning firewood for cooking.

As a young boy, he saw first-hand the impact of using wood for fuel on the women and children in the village where he grew up. Health conditions related to breathing in smoke, such as heart conditions, were common while children missed out on time to do homework because they were busy collecting firewood – not to mention the environmental impact of cutting down trees.

Today, that experience is fuelling the growth of his green business, providing a sustainable, healthier alternative to burning wood by turning coconut husks and peanut shells, which would usually be shipped to other countries as waste, into briquettes that can be burned for cooking.

“People often ask me why, with my degree in business management why I don’t work in a bank! They say, ‘Why are you struggling and taking such a difficult path?’ but you have to make an impact, even just a small one and that’s what I’m trying to do,” says Sulayman.

It was while he was at the School of Business and Public Administration at the University of The Gambia located in Kanifing that he had the idea for his business, Green Waste Initiative. Together with his friends Modou S. Jeng, who was studying climate change and alternative energy sources, and Mansata Jabai who was studying marketing they took part in – and won – Hult Prize on Campus Competition, to pitch their environment idea to judges. Fresh from that success, the second-year students decided business life was for them and they officially launched their business.

Not long afterwards, Sulayman saw an advert for WasteAid’s Waste to Use Challenge on Startup Incubator Gambia’s website and decided to apply. It was a decision that would be a major turning point for the business as he was accepted onto one of three places in the programme, which enabled him to develop his business and finance skills.

“I had seen the great work that WasteAid had been doing in other West African countries and it had been a dream of mine to get involved with the charity,” says Sulayman.

“I went for an interview and to my surprise, I was told I was one of three finalists to be chosen. We received training across a broad range of subjects such as waste management, accounts, marketing our products, and how to deal with customer services. Although I had a background in accounts, the trainer really understood my business and really made sure that I had the right spreadsheet, and my sales book up to date. We use what we learned there every day. The training was amazing”.

“We also were given a mentor. I’ve had mentors in the past but Maurice, our mentor really understood my business – he had the technical experience of alternative energy sources and helped us to focus on the method of production. They provided me with the right mentor to make a difference to my business,” he adds.

The team has worked hard to generate demand for the fuel briquettes, working directly with communities to educate them on the health risks of burning firewood and the alternatives available. They have also used radio appearances to help spread the word about this initiative. Building partnerships with the charcoal producers themselves to encourage them to consider transitioning to greener sources has been critical to their approach and they are also working with the Ministry of Forestry to help spread the word to local communities.

The next step is to secure investment so that they can update and automate the production of the briquettes which are currently made manually.

“Getting people to change is our biggest challenge. As well as radio shows and working with partners and the communities we also use social media and WhatsApp a lot to encourage sales and take orders but it’s still very challenging.

“The good news is that demand is currently more than the supply because we’re using old, manual tools – it takes a lot of physical effort to make the bricks. We need to get the right machinery to increase production. We want to provide cleaner energy across The Gambia.

“We cannot do it alone. We live in a community that really needs help. We cannot do it without support. I was just a university student coming up with an idea. To make an impact we need partners and investment so we can help our women and children,” says Sulayman.

As the business grows Sulayman hopes that not only will the business help improve the quality of lives for communities who rely on burning wood for fuel but that he will be able to create further job opportunities for people in rural areas.

While the Waste to Use Challenge may have come to a close, WasteAid will continue to support the semi-finalists over the next 6-months through further one-to-one business sessions and mentoring. The university friends, who have now all graduated, are continuing to be active members of WasteAid’s Circular Economy Network in The Gambia and are working with other partners to promote an inclusive circular economy.

Please help us to support more people like Sulayman create change by donating to WasteAid today.

One of the first people to take part in WasteAid’s initiative in Cameroon was Djoukou Tapang Julienne who’s known to most as Mama Pasto. Her story truly shows how lives can be transformed when people have access to the right opportunity, support and tools.

When WasteAid first met the 49-year-old mother of five she was working as a “Buy and Sellam” selling bread loaded with boiled and seasoned beans, after losing her job as fund collector at a savings and credit union following an accident.

As age began to catch up with her, Mama Pasto decided that she needed another way to support her family. Now, after receiving support from WasteAid, she runs her own informal cooperative of pickers, and provides training to others in the community to ensure she leaves a lasting legacy.

Mama Pasto initially took part in a training course delivered by WasteAid, to learn how to manufacture paving tiles but after realising that she didn’t have the space or time to make the tiles she joined the charity’s programme to become a waste collector.

The WasteAid training scheme taught her collection techniques and how to manufacture paving tiles. From there Mama Pasto was given a paid internship with a local waste collection company where she collected waste from rivers and businesses. These two experiences gave her the skills and confidence she needed to become an independent collector with an income that has allowed her to support her family.

“Thanks to the training I received, this is the first year that none of my children have had to be taken out of school – I’ve been able to pay all the school fees for the whole year,” she said.

Collaboration and empowering communities are at the heart of WasteAid’s ethos and is a commitment that Mama Pasto is passionate about.

“Now, I’m also training others as we need to involve our peers so that the work can continue what has been started.  Even if I am no longer here (I’m getting old at 49 you know!) I can say that I left a legacy and young people are working because of me.”

Her commitment to sharing the benefits of WasteAid’s programme has seen her launch her own paid summer internship for young people to help them earn money for notebooks. She is also committed to training members of her community.

“I paid them around £91 per month and my concern was just to make sure that we were all making money together. More than 23 tonnes of plastic waste have been collected and sold this year through my endeavours and my wonderful team. While we have some work to do to improve the quality of plastic being collected, it’s a good start to see people recognising the work I am doing and getting involved.”

Not only has the support Mama Pasto received allowed her to support her children’s education and others in the community but it has also given her the opportunity to earn an income that has seen her buy land and gain an additional rental income.

“I was so happy to be part of this training programme and what I’m doing now is possible because of that training. I would like to thank WasteAid for the knowledge I gained as it’s unusual to receive such training for free.” she added.

Mama Pasto’s story is inspiring people throughout her community and beyond.

As WasteAid prepares to open the waste collection and sorting facility in Bilongué 2, Mama Pasto’s story shows just what is possible.

“What makes me proud is to see that people I worked with understand the work and the necessity to work – not only for money but to help the community to cope with their waste. I love how people’s understanding and behaviour evolves when they see how the things that I have done have changed people’s lives,” she said.

Please help us to support more people like Mama Pasto to create change by donating to WasteAid today.

This thought piece is written by WasteAid’s Circular Economy and Waste Management Lead, Rebecca Colley-Jones, following a recent visit to one of WasteAid’s project locations in Douala, Cameroon.

Having joined WasteAid at the beginning of November 2022, I had the privilege of embarking on my first field visit to Douala, Cameroon two weeks later with our CEO Ceris Turner-Bailes. WasteAid has had links to Cameroon for a number of years and started formally delivering programmes in January 2020, funded initially through the UK AID Match programme.

The main focus of my visit, aside from familiarising myself with WasteAid’s work in Douala, was to follow up on our initiative to build and support a Plastics Recovery Facility (PRF) in Douala 3. Land for the PRF had been allocated by the municipality to build the facility, as the Mayor and his team were keen to see such a facility located within their district, and were excited by the potential of the PRF to assist in providing a solution to the area’s plastics pollution challenge. The aim of the PRF is to adopt a circular economy approach recapturing plastic materials, adding value to them and ultimately closing the loop on plastics.

WasteAid’s partnership with leading global private markets firm, Partners Group, began at an integral time for this programme. Funding from the Partners Group employee foundation, PG Impact, meant that we could scale the impact and increase livelihood opportunities for more young people, with positive outcomes for the wider community and environment. Cameroon has a population of 27 million with over 55% living in poverty[1], so it was significant that we are able to reach more people through this partnership.

When arriving at the site, it was great to see that the construction work was well underway, with the office block, toilets and shower facilities as well as the main sorting area pretty much completed. The borehole had been drilled and installed and the tower for the water holding tank had been constructed.

In order to ensure that the infrastructure we provide is right and to make the site as self-contained as possible, we decided to look at the possibilities for rainwater harvesting to maximise water use and efficiency. Electricity can be sporadic so to tackle this challenge we decided to look at the possibility of installing solar panels, and also look at two types of bailers to be manufactured locally – one electric and one manual – and I am working with our Cameroon project team to source the right equipment.

In terms of activities on the site, we went out to interview potential users to see what they would need in order to add value. We will be catching up with some of these people and sharing their stories in the coming weeks, currently most collectors are working either out of their homes or at the side of the street. The PRF will enable collectors to increase efficiency and add value to the collected plastics. With more collectors on board thanks to Partners Group, we will be seeing a higher volume of plastic collected and diverted from drains, rivers and the ocean.

To ensure sustainability, WasteAid works within the existing value chain, finding ways of further supporting those working within it. To understand how best the PRF could integrate into the current local value chain, it was decided to assess the market. Visits were made to a number of off takers of plastics, NAME, SC2R and RedPlast. Following our visits, it was concluded that the best use of the site was for it to operate as a bulking and cleaning facility, users will be able to sort, clean and store quality plastic. By washing and baling plastic bottles, the collectors can access better markets, obtain a better price (almost double) when selling to off takers. This has the potential to make a huge difference to their livelihoods, improve the quality of the collected materials and prevent pollution by closing the loop on plastics. The PRF will support a further 45 people in the community of Bilongué 2 in Douala.

We have now appointed a PRF supervisor, and are sourcing the various pieces of equipment needed to complete the infrastructure at the facility. Recruiting of the collectors who will use this facility is currently underway. Many of the potential users of the PRF are actually graduates of WasteAid’s UK AID Match programme who now have small waste collection businesses and networks of collectors.

It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm for WasteAid’s activities in Cameroon, and get feedback on how WasteAid’s initiatives are making a real difference to waste collectors’ lives and helping build a circular solution for Doula’s plastics.

[1] https://www.wfp.org/countries/cameroon

WasteAid’s Waste to Use Challenge was part of an initiative funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) to fast-track circular economy initiatives in The Gambia. The Gambia is Africa’s smallest mainland country and has very limited waste management capacity. Open dumping and burning of waste leads to poor health, economic losses and climate emissions, and has been recognised at both local and national levels as a priority for sustainable development.

Positively, The Gambia is one of the few countries committed to meeting the Paris Agreement to keep global warming below 1.5C. 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. Implementing circular waste and recycling initiatives such as the Waste to Use Challenge can play a significant role in preventing climate emissions, building climate resilience, and creating much-needed sustainable livelihood opportunities.

On 20^th December, around 70 members of the Circular Economy Network gathered at the Sunset Beach Hotel, in Kotu to hear the pitches of the three finalists all active in the circular economy. All three initiatives were selected through a competitive process and prior to the pitch had been through a business incubation process, to help them hone their business plans and ideas. The training was complimented by one-to-one mentoring by business specialists over months leading up to the event. A huge thanks to the trainers and mentors that supported them throughout: Muhammed Danso from Startup Incubator Gambia, Mustapha J. from J Concepts, Youma Wally Ndong from GamPlus Clothing, Maurice Phillips from Sandele Foundation and Rory Dickens from Sustainable Design Studio.

Sulayman Darboe of Green Waste Initiative (GWI) was the first to present their business idea ‘Rinkoo’, a briquet made out of organic materials, an alternative to charcoal which burns for longer. GWI have established buyers at the community level as well as a product range and will be looking to expand their production capacity. Next up was African Swag Collection, led by Sainabou Gaye, who have produced a fashion range that reuses bubble wrap otherwise destined for landfill. They collect bubble wrap from trading outlets that are importing electrical equipment (packed in bubble wrap) and transform it into shower caps and aprons for use in the hair dressing and culinary trade as well as handbags and raincoats.

Finally, Plastics Recycling Gambia, led by Alieu Sowe, presented their core business. They collect up to 30 tonnes of hard plastic a month from 21 collection points, providing income for up to 21 waste collectors, and then distribute across the Greater Banjul Area. They sort, wash and grind down into plastic pellets to then sell to local plastic manufacturers.

Michelle Wilson, Director of Programmes at WasteAid, said: “It was exciting to see the quality of ideas and level of the entrants which confirms to us that grass roots organisations are key to the development of a vibrant circular economy in The Gambia. It is impossible for local government to tackle the waste and environmental crisis on their own. The ambition and drive of all our entrants, particularly given their age, the majority are under 30, is amazing to see. WasteAid will continue to support the sector through the Circular Economy Network and looks forward to see these companies flourish”

The judges unanimously decided to award the investment to Plastic Recycling Gambia due to the strength of the business case presented, the environmental impact of the organisation in saving so much plastic from waterways and dump sites, and finally the income generating potential for informal waste collectors who are part of the collection network.

Waste to Use Challenge winner, Alieu Sowe, said: “Winning this competition has boosted mine and my team’s motivation, and will help us to grow Plastics Recycling Company. Reaching 50 tonnes regrinds monthly is sufficient for a financially stable and sustainable company. Above this turnover a modest profit can be made that will be reinvested to ensure organic growth of the company, and that growth includes expanding to reach other regions.”

Anna Willetts, President of CIWM said: “We are proud to see the positive difference that CIWM funding is making to these sustainable circular initiatives in The Gambia.  As part of a delegation visiting next month, I am looking forward to seeing for myself each of the projects and how local entrepreneurs, the finalists and, of course, the winner continue to develop and contribute to CIWM’s ambition of a world beyond waste.”

WasteAid will continue to work with the runners up to hone their presented business plans. Representatives were present from the National Environment Agency as well as Local Councils and a panel made from business and government sector.

As we come to the end of COP27, this thought piece will examine how WasteAid’s work is helping to address the climate crisis through green entrepreneurship and reinventing waste solutions, two topics that are being covered on Solutions Day at COP27.

It is encouraging to see a focus on these topics at COP27. At WasteAid we believe that support to green entrepreneurship is critical when transitioning to a circular economy and helps to recapture valuable materials to use in new products providing environmental, economic and social benefits.

WasteAid invests in green entrepreneurs in the waste space for two main reasons, firstly we believe that some of the best ideas to solve the waste crisis are emerging locally. In countries like South Africa, India and Vietnam formal employment options are limited and we are seeing many ‘green entrepreneurs’ emerging out of necessity. Companies like VECA in Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam are an example of a typical green entrepreneur working in this space. They have developed a mobile app linking waste collectors to households, effectively an Uber for waste. Through funding from their partner Huhtamaki, a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions, WasteAid has supplied business and capex funding to these local innovators, who have been able to extend their coverage into new districts, increase the number of households they collect from and waste collectors that can access the system. More opportunities for green entrepreneurs to expand their businesses has meant increased employment for local communities, and with more employment comes greater levels of independence. Finally we believe that green entrepreneurship will also help to keep materials closer to its source. In Vietnam for example, while 1.4 million tonnes of recycled plastic waste was imported in 2018, only 15-20% of current plastics in Vietnam are recovered and recycled. If green entrepreneurs can be supported to thrive in their locality, then we see the potential for reliable local supply chains to emerge and contribute to their local economies for manufacturing and use of recyclables.

We are not alone in recognising that green entrepreneurs have ideas and solutions to solving the waste crisis. Over the last few years, we have seen initiatives funded by Hitachi, Circular Initiative, IKEA, and the UK Department of Trade and Industry to find and fund innovators and entrepreneurs who can develop solutions to help ‘close the loop’ on waste as a means of tackling the waste crisis, and in turn, the climate crisis. WasteAid celebrates these initiatives and also saw an opportunity to make initiatives even more inclusive, more local and more targeted.

WasteAid believes that there are two key ways to support green entrepreneurs. Firstly, through tailored support to the entrepreneur. So many courses, curricula and business incubation approaches could be better tailored to the waste industry. Through funding from Bunzl PLC, we have been working in South Africa with the Wot-If? Trust to develop a bespoke course to ‘waste-preneurs’ who are working in townships in Johannesburg. These young women and men are individuals who are already working in the world of waste but living very much day to day. Through a holistic and practical curriculum delivered by trainers with lived experience of making a living out of waste, and culminating in a pitch to access funds for a business idea, we are giving these waste-preneurs an opportunity to grow their income earning potential. See a clip below of some of our waste-preneurs in action.

Similarly in The Gambia, WasteAid has a ‘challenge fund’ element to a project supported by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM). It is inspirational to see young entrepreneurs fired up about resource recovery and creating jobs at the same time. Currently three semi-finalists are going through a tailored business support programme and will compete in December for access to capex funding. African Swag is a female-led Gambian-based company making clothing out of bubble wrap, from aprons to shower caps. Green Youth Collective are a group of entrepreneurs making briquets from organic waste, and Plastics Recycling Gambia is led by a Gambian entrepreneur who is working to help set up the first network of aggregators and recyclers across The Gambia. Here the focus is helping those on the first rung of the ladder move up the value chain through tailored business support. See a link to our finalists below.

Finally, as well as bespoke training, access to capex and ongoing venture capital is key. Many green entrepreneurs have the solutions but given the low-risk appetite of investors it is difficult for them to go to scale. In Egypt, as part of Dow’s project REFLEX, WasteAid is working with Alfanar, an Egyptian-based company that specialises in venture philanthropy methodology, to design a challenge competition focused on green entrepreneurship. Three semi-finalists will access £10k of seed capital and business training with a final winner having access to long-term investment capital. The challenge is focused on social enterprises that have market-based solutions to the recovery and reuse of flexible plastics in Aswan and beyond. The challenge is still open for applications until 30^th November 2022, to apply click here.

WasteAid believes that by fast-tracking local solutions to the circular economy we will get to net zero faster, but perhaps more importantly we will also ensure that the benefits of the circular economy are shared with the poorest communities we serve.

Written by Michelle Wilson and Rebecca Colley-Jones.