Yesterday’s themes at COP27 were Science and Youth and Future Generations. Two of the elements discussed during the day were around improving Africa’s resilience to climate change and the role of research, development and innovation in addressing climate change. 

Economic development and population growth has seen the global demand for materials grow from 27 billion tonnes in 1970 to 89 billion tonnes in 2017 and this is forecast to double by 2060 to 167 billion tonnes (OECD 2019). According to the Circularity Gap Report 2022 70% of all global greenhouse gas emissions are related to material handling and use. Growing consumption of materials has consequently resulted in increasing waste generation, in 2020 only 8.6% of the materials we consume were circular i.e., recaptured and used again. To meet the internationally agreed targets to limit the rise in global temperature to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, globally we need to adopt a more circular economy approach. Low- and middle-income countries are global producers of materials and consumption is increasing in these countries. Embedding restorative, regenerative circular principals can help meet the needs of this growing demand. This will require a systemic change replacing primary resources with secondary materials recovered from waste streams building resilience into the economy. Getting there will require collaboration across the value chain from all stakeholders including household, government, informal and formal sector. Proactive engagement is needed, through working together and understanding each other, and knowledge exchange is critical to achieving this. As well as understanding each other, we need fresh thinking and ideas to solve the growing ‘waste’ crisis and succeed in getting materials back into the system. Innovation does not happen in isolation; innovation is the outcome of a lot of smart people rowing in the same direction and will require proactive engagement.

WasteAid agrees knowledge exchange is critical. One area we are experimenting with is bringing experts together from the global north and south to solve common waste issues. In The Gambia, WasteAid, funded by the Chartered Institutions of Wastes Management (CIWM), has set up The Circular Economy Network Project, known locally as ‘Dennakuwo’ to fast-track local solutions to the circular economy. A key part of this project is to bring together members of CIWM in the UK, many of whom come from municipal councils as well as the private sector with their counter parts in The Gambia. In November we held our first virtual engagement meeting bringing together the head of Kanifing Municipal Council and 15 members of CIWM on a virtual platform to exchange information and challenges around the implementation of anti-littering law. It is clear that the challenges faced in the UK are not that dissimilar to those faced in the The Gambia. Our hope is to see these fora to enable knowledge to be shared and innovative solutions to emerge. 

Enabling knowledge exchange across the value chain is also critical. In Egypt WasteAid is working with Dow on its REFLEX project, to identify new and emerging ways of valorising flexible plastic. The aim is to support the development of the flexible plastics value chain in Aswan. In September we brought together representatives from the informal sector, the governate, environmental affairs, NGOs and producers in Aswan. The different groups were able to bring their knowledge on the challenges and opportunities on the PE value chain, each bringing a unique perspective. Through these interactions, connections have been formed and a more formal stakeholder group has emerged to help plan and move forward together to ensure increased recovery or secondary materials.   

WasteAid has also been grateful to work with donors who bring individual expertise. In Cameroon, WasteAid is working with Douala Municipal Council to develop a Plastics Recovery Facility (PRF) that will be owned and run by the local community. One of our key partners Biffa plc were instrumental in supporting the design of the PRF, working with the team in Cameroon to tailor UK designs to something that would work in the context of Cameroon.    

Circular economy provides great economic opportunities to preserve the value of materials and develop critical skills. The examples above demonstrate how we think knowledge exchange is central to solving issues caused by climate emissions that come from materials.

Written by Rebecca Colley-Jones and Michelle Wilson.

• As part of an initiative developed by WasteAid, to support informal waste collectors to increase their income earning potential, 18 waste collectors known as ‘wastepreneurs’ pitched their business ideas to a panel of independent judges in a Dragons Den style pitch day.

• The event which took place at the HTA School of Culinary Art in Randburg on 18^th October 2022, was the culmination of a twelve-week training programme hosted by International NGO WasteAid in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni in conjunction with the Wot-if? Trust.

• 18 Wastepreneurs were awarded capex funding that will enable them to invest in transport, storage as well as further training to help them grow their businesses.

On 18^th October 2022, international NGO WasteAid hosted a Dragons Den style pitch event at the HTA School of Culinary Art in Randburg, where eighteen ‘wastepreneurs’ presented their business ideas to a panel of four independent judges as part of the “Bunzl Waste Entrepreneurial Challenge” pitch fund.

The pitch event was the culmination of a twelve-week tailored training programme designed and developed by the Wot-if? Trust for WasteAid, to support waste collectors in improving their income potential. The training curriculum included business and finance basics as well as understanding waste streams. The training combined both personal and practical skills to inspire the wastepreneurs to think of how they could grow their earning potential. The training also included coaching support to help them map out their ideas and to prepare for the final ‘pitch’ event. The pot allocation of seed funding for the wastepreneurs was £10k and is funded by WasteAid’s partner Bunzl Plc.

Bunzl Plc’s Head of Sustainability in the UK, James Pitcher, attended the event as well as Bunzl representatives from Australia. Four independent judges were also selected to sit on the panel, including local waste management and sustainability professionals Conny Sethaelo, Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Manager for Nestle South Africa; Debbie Du Preez, Regional Manager of Pikitup; Sbusiso Shongwe of BoombaDotMobi, WasteAid’s Circular Economy Network member and winner of the Zero Waste Cities Challenge; and Claudio Buffa Pace of Community Bin Project.

Sbusiso Shongwe of BoombaDotMobi expressed that: “Wastepreneurship is thriving in this country, and South African wastepreneurs are changing the perceptions in this sector. If there was any time to invest in the waste space, now is the right time.”

After deliberation the judging team consulted on the appropriate allocation of funds for each wastepreneur. The business ideas presented by the wastepreneurs ranged from education resources made from recyclable materials to the creation of a community food garden to incentivise separation at source and recycling by households in the community. At one training hub, four individuals formed an association to create a Buy-Back and Collection Centre in their community. At another hub, a cooperative of ten youths strengthened their aggregation potential in Freedom Park in Soweto, by focusing on the development office infrastructure on their collection site. One of the candidates, a young man living with a disability, was granted the design and development of a specific waste trolley and safety shoes.

CEO of WasteAid, Ceris Turner-Bailes, said: “We are extremely grateful for Bunzl’s ongoing partnership and support. The Bunzl Waste Entrepreneurial Challenge has enabled WasteAid to support the economic empowerment of some of the poorest members of the waste value chain in South Africa. Through collaborative local partnerships, circular economy initiatives and a tailored curriculum on the World of Waste, this programme is helping to improve the lives and livelihoods of wastepreneurs and their communities within South Africa’s informal sector.”

James Pitcher, Head of Sustainability at Bunzl Plc, said:

“The informal waste economy in countries like South Africa is such a big part of these communities. What I hope moving forward is that we’ll continue to be able to provide micro-grants to more communities of people, to help grow the informal waste economy and provide them with jobs that they can be proud of.”

WasteAid will continue to mentor the wastepreneurs through the implementation phase and looks forward to training more wastepreneurs in the months to come.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS 

About WasteAid

• WasteAid is a leading international development organisation on a mission to tackle the global waste crisis. 2 billion people do not have their waste collected and 3 billion lack a decent disposal site, leading to the spread of disease and polluting the air, land, rivers and oceans.
• WasteAid works with governments and communities in low-income countries to address the root causes of climate change and marine plastic pollution.
• WasteAid shares waste management knowledge and skills; trains people to become self-employed recycling entrepreneurs; and influences decision-makers and the donor community to increase investment in waste management.

About Bunzl Plc

• Bunzl is the largest value-added distributor in the world in its market sectors with operations across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and UK & Ireland.
• Bunzl is purpose driven to create long term sustainable value for the benefit of all its stakeholders. This includes charities and communities, and Bunzl directs the focus of its charitable support towards environmental activities most relevant to its business.
• Sustainability is a key priority for Bunzl, and a central focus of the company’s sustainability strategy is supporting the transition to a more circular economy through providing tailored alternative packaging solutions and reusable packaging options and facilitating responsible usage.

About the Wot-if? Trust

• The Wot-if? Trust operates in Diepsloot, an underserved and impoverished community north of Johannesburg in South Africa.
• They focus on women and youth, specifically addressing youth unemployment and small business development – with a focus on ensuring access to the economy and economic inclusion for their participants.

WasteAid, the UK based international non-profit organisation that supports waste management expertise in the developing world and promotes circular economy innovation, has appointed Rebecca Colley-Jones to be its first Circular Economy and Waste Management Lead.

Joining with immediate effect, Rebecca will be a member of WasteAid’s senior management team and will oversee all technical aspects of WasteAid’s work. She will also play a key role in external engagement. Rebecca has had a career in the waste and resources sector spanning almost 25 years, starting her career as an environmental engineer. She was latterly employed by the Polyolefin Circular Economy Platform (PCEP) working towards delivering the system transformation of the polyolefin industry from a linear to a circular economy. Rebecca is a Fellow of CIWM and has held positions working internationally both at University of Northampton and Bangor University and Africa developing innovative and sustainable solutions for a wide variety of solid waste management (SWM) and circular economy (CE) issues. Rebecca has also worked on a number of projects for WRAP. 

Announcing the appointment, WasteAid Chief Executive, Ceris Turner-Bailes said: “Following an extensive search, we are delighted to welcome Rebecca Colley-Jones to WasteAid. Rebecca joins us at a hugely exciting time for the organisation as we have enjoyed extensive growth over the last few years. WasteAid has a much-expanded programme portfolio to deliver, but as always there is so much more to do. With her deep knowledge of the circular economy space and waste management, we know that Rebecca will make a massive contribution to the next phase of WasteAid’s development”.

Rebecca Colley-Jones appointed Circular Economy and Waste Management Lead with WasteAid.

Rebecca Colley-Jones said: “Having followed WasteAid’s development with interest since it started, I’m absolutely thrilled to join this growing and impactful organisation. Having seen first hand what waste management looks like in lower and middle income countries I firmly believe that the work that WasteAid are doing is critical in transitioning to a global circular economy. WasteAid projects empower local communities and provide economic opportunities that reduce the health impacts associated with poor waste management. WasteAid has a passionate and dynamic team and I’m looking forward to bringing my complementary skills and experience to help them make a difference where it is most needed.”

Now in its eighth year, WasteAid has grown from strength to strength and has more than quadrupled in size since 2020 with programmes being delivered in 9 countries. WasteAid works with communities and policy makers in low and middle-income countries to implement circular solutions focused on waste management and recycling. WasteAid’s work improves the livelihoods of some of the most marginalised, promotes circular economy innovation and contributes to a cleaner and healthier future for all. Its key funders now include Bunzl Plc, Biffa, CIWM, Dow Packaging, EU, Huhtamaki Group Plc and UKRI.

Chair of the Board of WasteAid, Sarahjane Widdowson said: “We are delighted to welcome Rebecca Colley-Jones to WasteAid. Rebecca has already made her mark in the waste management sector and is a well-respected expert in her field. It will be incredibly exciting to see Rebecca using her extensive skills and experience to support WasteAid’s projects and overall development. The Board very much looks forward to working with her and the rest of the senior team to continue to develop innovative and impactful programmes on behalf of WasteAid.”

Rebecca has recently completed a PhD programme focused on applying circular economy principals to e-waste and is currently working on final amendments to her thesis.

Written by Lucien Yoppa, WasteAid’s Project Coordinator in Cameroon.

On Friday 26th August 2022, the municipality of Douala 3 council in Cameroon held an award ceremony to congratulate trainees who took part in WasteAid’s UK Aid Match project. This ceremony marks the end of a two-year project that was funded by donations from individuals based in the UK and matched by the UK government. 

From January 2020 to August 2022, WasteAid worked in partnership with RED-PLAST (a local recycling enterprise) and the municipality of Douala 3 council to reduce the number of recyclable plastics dumped in the Wouri River and Douala estuary. This was achieved by introducing a more effective plastics collection and recycling system, which in turn has improved local livelihoods.  

Although the project was significantly impacted by the global Covid-19 pandemic, a number of outstanding outcomes were achieved nonetheless:

• 165 people trained in collection safety, sorting and recycling of plastic waste from the streets, markets and riverbanks of the municipality of Douala 3 council. 
• 35 new jobs created in the plastic waste recycling sector where 15 worked at the RED-PLAST facility and others either as independent waste pickers or workers at other local recycling centres. 
• 47.87 tonnes of plastic waste collected for recycling. 
• 2,537 square metres of paving slabs made with plastic waste were produced and sold. 
• 17 businesses participated in the recycling scheme. 
• A plastic recycling line has been bought and will be fully operational at RED-PLAST’s facility. 
• Over 2,000 people from 4 markets sensitised about plastic waste issues and how they can contribute by disposing of their plastic waste into eco-bins made from plastic bottles. 

The new plastic recycling line will triple the production capacity of RED-PLAST and also enable them to produce more paving slabs and new products like granule and other plastic melting products (good marketable products). It will also help to ensure long lasting employment for the 15 workers at RED-PLAST and more. 

Though this project is coming to an end, its legacy lives on; the mayor of the local municipality has kindly donated a site where WasteAid will oversee the building of a Plastic Recovery Facility (PRF). Local waste trainees will be invited to collect PET bottles which will be cleaned, baled and sold to the local and international PET market where the bottles can be recycled or turned into marketable products. 

Thank you to everyone for supporting WasteAid’s 2019 UK Aid Match appeal to end plastic pollution. Your donations have made a huge impact and enabled this significant work to happen. 

Blog written by Angela Ludek, WasteAid’s Project Officer for Informal Sector Engagement in South Africa

Without a Doubt – Reclaiming!

Without a doubt, if you refer to the informal waste sector in South Africa, the first thing that comes to mind is the waste picker, also known as waste reclaimers. The daily sight of waste pickers pulling, pushing and riding waste carts on small wheels in the greater Gauteng province is as common as the local taxi networks. The waste pickers ebb and flow on roads and in neighbourhoods, providing an essential service by diverting valuable recyclables from overflowing landfill sites.

The increase in size of the informal waste sector has been further spurred on by the COVID pandemic as levels of unemployment and waste increased. When you talk to waste pickers, you get the feeling that there is a strong desire within the sector to retain the flexibility of this type of livelihood and thankfully policy responses are beginning to reflect this. A key guiding document, the Waste Picker Integration Guideline for South Africa [1] carefully reflects the voice of the informal sector and puts forward clear recommendations on how waste pickers should be put at the front and centre, and how efforts to ‘formalise’ the informal is not necessary the end goal.

Efforts to formalise are often linked to trying to increase the income of waste pickers. Waste pickers tend to make the lowest margins across the waste value chain. An average waste picker will earn 2-4 rand per kilo for PET for example compared to those who are trading in bigger volumes earning 8-10 rand. With the advent of Extended Producer Responsibility, waste pickers are seeing the long-term potential of waste as a business and have a desire to progress and grow.

The options to grow their business are directly linked to collecting better quality and volume of recyclables, joining with others to start to aggregate on a larger scale and or developing a bigger network of buyers so as to drive the price up.

A Circular Economy

WasteAid has been trying to address the issues highlighted above through its new Bunzl Entrepreneurial Challenge Initiative. Building on the work started through the Circular Economy Network and the Zero Waste Cities Challenge [2], WasteAid is supporting the economic empowerment of the poorest members of the waste value chain in South Africa in two ways. Firstly, we are building their capacity through a tailored curriculum which tackles some of the basics of business, rights and responsibilities of waste and environmental impact, waste streams, economic and financial literacy, business and entrepreneurial skills, personal development and digital skills. At the end of the course the ‘wastepreneurs’ will have an opportunity to access small investments so that they are able to put their business ideas into practice. The project is to refer to waste pickers as wastepreneurs, to represent their blend of skills as waste pickers and entrepreneurs within the informal waste sector.

WasteAid’s project which will run for 2 years, is active in 2 Buy Back Centres in Gauteng and is funded by Bunzl Plc, one of the largest value-added service providers and distributors in the world.

From Waste Picker to Wastepreneur

To select the first cohort of wastepreneurs, WasteAid’s Project Officer for Informal Sector Engagement, Angela Ludek, reached out to established buy-back centres and community cleaning organisations for referrals (Makhabisi Recycling and Trading in Reiger Park in the Ekurhuleni municipality and Waste Collection Community Association (WCCA)) in Gauteng province.

A variety of waste pickers were interviewed from across communities in Johannesburg to establish the skill training needs as well as to identify trainers from across the industry. The training needs identified combine hard and soft skills with an overarching personal development approach to establish a core set of skills that will enable business growth.

WasteAid has worked in conjunction with the Wot-If Trust, based in Diepsloot township in Johannesburg, South Africa. Founder of the Wot-If Trust, Gail Styger – affectionately referred to as sister G – takes a strategic and systematic approach to programme development and has been hands-on in research of the local waste management systems, and approaches toward attitudinal and behavioural change.

Over the next two years, WasteAid will be hosting the training of a minimum of 50 wastepreneurs over 12 weeks once a week. Coaches are being assigned to support each participant along the way to ensure learning can be consolidated and issues and challenges can be addressed on an individual basis.

The key advantage of this approach is that all the core trainers have developed successful businesses from waste. Mandlenkosi Nkosi of MAN Recycling, Harriet Matjila of Makhabisi Recycling and Trading, Zweli Sono and Matsabola Maripane of Waste Collection Community Association (WCCA) are the wastepreneur trainers for the programme and have all contributed to the curriculum development.

Through this personal and business development training programme, the vision is to establish confident wastepreneur innovators that will enable a greater impact on their direct livelihoods and that of their communities.

Trainer and owner of Makhabisi Recycling and Trade, Harriet Matjila, said of the waste picker participants after the orientation session, “It was indeed an insightful session. We begin to see that we do make a positive impact on individuals as the comments we received today were amazing. They are beginning to get the ‘feel’ of things in this sector”.

Link to Makhabisi Recycling and Trading video: https://www.groundup.org.za/article/where-others-see-trash-anna-harriet-see-treasure/

Follow the development of the waste pickers into wastepreneurs through WasteAid’s social media channels and get involved in the shared value by separating and sorting your household waste for collection in your neighbourhood.

[1] Waste Picker Integration Guidelines 2020;  Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Department of Science and Innovation

[2] To find out more about the Circular Economy Network: https://wasteaid.org/grassroots-circular-economy-talent-celebrated-in-johannesburg/ 

PRESS RELEASE

WasteAid is one of six organisations that have been awarded funding through The International Circular Plastic Flagship Projects Competition, facilitated by the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Through the funding, WasteAid is pioneering a feasibility study on developing a circular economy alongside expert partners, The University of Portsmouth and The Department of Agriculture Rural Development Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), in Mpumalanga, South Africa. This project will be focusing on three challenges centred around plastic pollution: reducing the littering of flexible packets, understanding where there is a lack of knowledge and operational resources in collections through to processing; and stimulating end-markets in Mpumalanga for these recyclable materials.

In places like Mpumalanga with minimal waste collection, littering is a huge problem that not only impacts the environment, but also public health. With little to no options for disposing of these materials, they often end up entering waterways and eventually harming marine life. Open burning is still a predominant option chosen to avoid the problems of litter, but not only are the emissions harmful to climate change, the pollutants also pose a risk to lung health for local communities.

Alongside the University of Portsmouth, WasteAid will be testing participatory approaches to drive improved source segregation of waste at a household level. This will raise awareness of the issues caused by the litter of flexible plastics and encourage people to separate their waste for recycling.

During a field visit to Mpumalanga, possible points of intervention to improve recycling rates were identified, and representatives from WasteAid and the University of Portsmouth had the opportunity to identify creatives and work with them to co-design behaviour change campaigns.

Together with local partner DARDLEA, WasteAid will be supporting to increase the collection and processing of the segregated waste on the ground. By stimulating these areas in the waste value chain, WasteAid and DARDLEA will then work with local processors to develop their capacity, which in turn will allow for recovered materials to stay in the local economy – promoting circularity and closing the loop.

Michelle Wilson, Circular Economy Network Director for WasteAid said: “We are honoured to be one of the projects selected to be part of the Plastics Challenge Competition and look forward to working with the University of Portsmouth and the local Municipality in South Africa to test methods that will improve the recovery rates of recycled plastic as well as closing the loop on materials locally”

WasteAid is committed to supporting the setup of systems that reduce the impacts of waste, improve local knowledge and build capacity for collection through to end markets. Incorporating circularity in waste management allows us to drive people-orientated solutions to improve livelihoods and progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in low-income communities.

For more information visit: https://wrap.org.uk/what-we-do/our-services/grants-and-investments/international-circular-plastics-flagship-competition

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

About WasteAid

• WasteAid is a leading international development organisation on a mission to tackle the global waste crisis. 2 billion people do not have their waste collected and 3 billion lack a decent disposal site, leading to the spread of disease and polluting the air, land, rivers and oceans.
• WasteAid works with governments and communities in low-income countries to address the root causes of climate change and marine plastic pollution.
• WasteAid shares waste management knowledge and skills; trains people to become self-employed recycling entrepreneurs; and influences decision-makers and the donor community to increase investment in waste management.

About WRAP

• WRAP is a climate action NGO working around the globe to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future. Our vision is a thriving world in which climate change is no longer a problem. We believe that our natural resources should not be wasted and that everything we use should be re-used and recycled. We bring together and work with governments, businesses and individuals to ensure that the world’s natural resources are used more sustainably. Our core purpose is to help tackle climate change and protect our planet by changing the way things are produced, consumed and disposed of.
• Our work includes: UK Plastics Pact, Courtauld Commitment 2030, Textiles 2030and the citizen campaigns Love Food Hate Waste, Love Your Clothes, Clear on Plastics and Recycle Now. We run Food Waste Action Week and Recycle Week.

About UKRI

• Launched in 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
• UKRI brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.
• Their nine councils work together in innovative ways to deliver an ambitious agenda, drawing on great depth and breadth of expertise and the enormous diversity of their portfolio.

Contact:

Rose Bradbury, Senior Fundraising & Communications Officer, WasteAid. media@wasteaid.org