Aim of this role:  Reporting to the CEO this role will ensure the technical quality of WasteAid’s programmes working closely with Director of Programmes and programmes staff.  This role will also play a strategic role in shaping WasteAid’s interventions of the future and together with the CEO and programmes staff will build partnerships with potential funders, global alliances and academic institutions.  This role will be a part of WasteAid’s Senior Management Team and will be key to promoting WasteAid’s work externally representing the organisation at appropriate events and conferences. 

Candidates should ideally be based in the UK, although there may be some consideration of those based in near neighbouring European countries. 

Reporting to – Chief Executive 

Key Internal Relationships: Director of Programmes, Programmes Coordinator, Director of Development, Project Managers 

Salary – Competitive 

Deadline – 4 July 2022 

Location – The role will be home-based with domestic travel and approx. 20% international travel. 

Download the Full Job Description including how to apply

Leadership 

• Develop the Circular Economy and Waste Management technical function of WasteAid in line with organizational growth leading on all technical aspects within the organisation as well as developing WasteAid’s presence as a thought leader on circular economy (CE) and waste related issues. 

Technical Quality 

• Working with programmes staff and guided by best international practices, assess the circular economy and waste management programme content in line with WasteAid’s strategy and technical standards, offering technical input and advice to Director of Programmes and project teams. 
• Assess and design appropriate Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management (SWM) interventions (in collaboration with the wider team) in WasteAid’s countries of operation and contribute accordingly to programme/project proposals. 
• As part of each project, evaluate waste-related activity progress and determine necessary actions in short and long term and ensuring the technical elements of impact is measured through WasteAid’s M&E system. 
• Value chain analysis on waste value chain to ascertain ways of improving inclusion and breakeven, particularly of those in the ‘first mile’ (informal waste collectors, buy back centres). 
• Develop WasteAid training tool kit for first mile business training services drawing from existing resources and identifying local trainers. 
• Maintain currency on developments in international SWM and CE approaches and how they may be incorporated into WasteAid’s projects. 
• Represent WasteAid as the principal technical expert at appropriate events and forums and with funders, as required. 
• Develop networks of technical experts to ensure that WasteAid continues its thought leadership and collaboration in the sector 
• Work with programmes staff to ensure that the WasteAid technical input is well documented and that the institutional memory of WasteAid is preserved. 

Programme Design 

• Consistently horizon scan for project, partner and funding opportunities and share recommendations with Senior Management Team colleagues. 
• Work as part of an internal bid team as the technical expert to develop timely and impactful programme/projects that align with individual funders’ strategies. 
• Take lead in technical components of needs assessments and evaluations to inform new programming. 
• Represent WasteAid in discussions on projects and initiatives with potential funders, as required. 
• Review programme reports and other types of reports to ensure the technical content meets quality methodological, institutional and donor requirements. 
• Support an effective monitoring and evaluation system by collection, analysis of data about waste management issues in order to improve the programme interventions. 
• Take part in field visits to assess projects from a waste management perspective and provide support to programme team and partners as needed. 

External Affairs 

• Develop WasteAid’s advocacy pillar through an advocacy strategy and visible presence in appropriate fora in collaboration with Senior Management Team colleagues. 
• Lead on WasteAid’s work around COP27 and develop further WasteAid’s initial work around Climate Change. 
• Take the lead on representing WasteAid at events and conferences organised by the UK and International waste management sectors. 
• Develop an online presence as a thought leader through blogs, articles and through social media. 

Person Specification 

• At least 10 years of Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management experience in an international setting at a senior level. 
• At least 7 years’ experience of developing and managing large scale Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management programmes in Low and Middle Income countries (LMICs) that are relevant to WasteAid’s work. 
• Experience of contributing to programmes designed to develop CE entrepreneurs or to develop green employment opportunities and sustainable grassroots WM businesses. 
• Detailed knowledge of the challenges faced by LMICs in developing waste management systems. 
• Excellent knowledge of best practice in international development programming. 
• An excellent knowledge of the current international CE ecosystem, including international alliances, current priorities, relevant legislation, partner and funding opportunities. 
• Ability to work closely with a wide range of stakeholders –  Ministers, politicians, academics, senior corporate figures, local authorities and community leaders. 
• Possesses an excellent (and international) professional network. 
• Experience of living and working in Africa or Asia. 
• Desire to tackle inequality at a global level through inclusive CE approaches. 
• Ability to work in a multinational, multicultural organisation with team members from different professional backgrounds. 
• Ability to focus on a number of different workstreams at any one time. 
• Friendly, approachable, with a ‘can-do’ attitude and entrepreneurial spirit. 

Desirable 

• Professional knowledge of French. 

More than £100,000 was raised for WasteAid at a spectacular gala event attended by some of Biffa’s largest customers, suppliers, advisors and key business partners.

Celebrating the fourth year of their proud partnership, Biffa and WasteAid hosted the fundraising event at Oxford Natural History Museum on May 11. The total amount raised on the night was an incredible £104,000.

The money raised from table sponsorships, along with individual donations and a raffle, will help WasteAid expand its work fighting plastic pollution in Cameroon, building a circular economy network in The Gambia, and supporting waste picker groups in South Africa.

Ceris Turner-Bailes, WasteAid Chief Executive Officer, said: “It is hard to put into words how critical Biffa’s proud partnership has been to WasteAid but, more importantly, to advancing WasteAid’s mission of a world in which waste causes no harm, and where people in poverty are empowered to recover its value.

“Biffa have been a critical supporter since the earliest years of the organisation and their support has been central to our ability to expand our programme portfolio across Africa and into Asia.

“We are delighted and very grateful to Biffa for hosting this fundraising event and would like to express our thanks to everyone who attended and made it such an unforgettable night.”

With Biffa’s support, WasteAid has quadrupled in size over the last two years. Alongside fundraising and financial support, Biffa employees contribute their passion, time and technical expertise to help WasteAid deliver waste management and recycling programmes where they are most needed.

Michael Topham, Biffa Chief Executive, said: “It was fantastic to see so many of Biffa’s key partners come together in Oxford to raise such an incredible amount of money for such a worthwhile cause.

“Our on-going partnership with WasteAid in parts of the world that urgently need to tackle the complex issue of how to manage waste in a sustainable manner is one of Biffa’s proudest achievements.

“Our financial and technical support provides more communities with much needed help so even more people can benefit from being part of a circular economy, with all the long-term benefits that brings.”

Written by Zoë Lenkiewicz

• Entrepreneurs in Johannesburg are setting their sights on building a circular economy and creating job opportunities from waste.
• International NGO WasteAid brought together grassroots circular economy talent to celebrate the ingenuity of local residents working towards a zero waste city.
• Winners of the Zero Waste Cities Challenge are benefitting from business incubation and seed funding to bring their ideas to life.

On 26 April 2022, international NGO WasteAid hosted a celebratory event at the HTA School of Culinary Art in Randburg, bringing together entrepreneurs and industry leaders from the across the city at an event branded “Making the Circular Economy a Reality in Johannesburg”.

The event was the culmination of a two-year programme to support innovators and business start-ups that help keep “wasted” resources in the loop, creating a cleaner city and sustainable livelihood opportunities. The Circular Economy Network programme, run by WasteAid, aimed to fast-track local solutions to a circular economy in Johannesburg.

A wide variety of stakeholders attended the event including representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, Business Finland, Tourvest, packaging recovery organisation Plastics SA and programme sponsor Huhtamaki, a global supplier of packaging solutions. Juan Mulder, OpEx Manager at Huhtamaki, was full of praise for the entrepreneurs, saying, “This was a fantastic event, and we need more like them!”

Launching the proceedings, Mr Mulder thanks WasteAid for bringing local innovators, entrepreneurs and circular economy business leaders together, and shared insights into Huhtamaki’s commitments to sustainability across the supply chain.

Michelle Wilson, Circular Economy Network Director at WasteAid then shared the achievements of the initiative, with 36 companies given business incubator support and 60,000 Euros of seed funding to expand their businesses. Ms Wilson comments, ““It was great to see so many entrepreneurs and innovators making connection here today!  It was truly the Circular Economy Network in action”.

Panel discussion: L-R Nondumiso Sibiya (Boombadotmobi), Ceris Turner-Bailes (CEO WasteAid), Michelle Wilson (Circular Economy Network Director, WasteAid), Douw Steyn (Plastics SA), Sbusiso Shongwe (Boombadotmobi)

Left: Claudio BuffaPace – Community Bin Project & Advocate Zweli Sono of WCCA (Windsor Community Cleaning Association) Right: Gail Styger (The Wot-If Trust), Ceris Turner-Bailes (WasteAid), Juan Mulder (Huhtamaki), Michelle Wilson (WasteAid)

Angela Ludek, Project Officer for Informal Sector Engagement at WasteAid, led a spotlight session on seven of the semi-finalists of WasteAid’s Zero Waste Cities challenge.

Boombadotmobi, who work in Diepsloot one of Johannesburg’s biggest townships to eradicate illegal dumping, were one of 2 winners of the competition.  They described the impact of winning the competition on their business; “Before we relied on a business model where 75% of the income went to the transporter but now we have swapped it around through the purchase of a truck”. Thanks to the Zero Waste Cities Challenge prize money, Boombadotmobi are now able to save and invest more of their earnings into developing their business.

Makhabisi Recycling and Trade, an all-female recycling outfit described the challenges they still face. Their buy-back centre, housed in a disused steel factory is without direct power which makes it difficult to operate their bailers/compactors to capacity. Life in the waste value chain is still very much hand to mouth with very little regulation of pricing of plastics which leaves waste collectors and aggregators very exposed to income fluctuations.

With many parts of Johannesburg still underserved with waste collections and recycling, these grassroots entrepreneurs are providing a much-needed value to society.

Following the spotlight session, a panel event was held with Douw Steyn from Plastics SA, Ceris Turner Bailes CEO of WasteAid and Sbusiso Shongwe and Nondumiso Sibiya from Boombadotmobi to explore the question “What is needed to support waste entrepreneurs?” Some of the key points raised included:

• the need for tailored training for those working in the waste space rather than a one size fits all approach,
• the need to select the right cooperatives to support in order to accelerate and scale good progress,
• improving access to finance,
• the ability to develop end markets locally as most of recycled content is destined for export, and
• more collaboration and less competition between innovators

Left: Marc Myers (Tourvest), Winnie McHenry and Mark Fruhauf (Upcycle) Right: Circular Economy Network members in Johannesburg on stage – Claudio BuffaPace, Thapelo Thabokgane, Antoinette Botha (Community Bin); Nokuthula Nkosi and Mandkenkosi Nkosi (Man Recycling); Harriet Matjila and Jaqueline Hartebeest (Makhabisi Recycling); Sbusiso Shongwe and Nondumiso Sibiya (Boombadotmobi)

Following the panel discussion, four innovators presented their businesses including Winnie McHenry from Upcycle, who challenged the view that upcycling had to be a small cottage industry. She described how she was able to fulfil an order from a corporate client for 3,000 glasses made of disused bottles through a dedicated network of producers. Ms McHenry’s aim is to build on existing skills in the community (such as crocheting and knitting) and to swap traditional materials for plastics that would otherwise become a waste.

The whole event was designed with circularity in mind. Branded gift bags were made by Upcycle, a local Circular Economy Network member that works across South Africa to build the skills of unemployed youth with products made from unwanted waste material. They also provided pens and notepads that were rejects from corporate branding exercises, that would have ended up in a landfill.

An exhibition gave the local innovators chance to promote their solutions, including Community Bin, Upcycle, Makhabisi and Bokashi Bran. The zero waste lunch was provided by Nosh Food Rescue and prepared by Celebrity Chef Citrum Thembinkosi Khumalo. Nosh Food Rescue regularly feeds hundreds of meals to the local community with delicious and nutritious food that otherwise would have ended up at landfill.

Written by Zoë Lenkiewicz

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.

Contact:

Rose Bradbury

Senior Fundraising & Communications Officer, WasteAid

media@wasteaid.org

WasteAid is launching two more initiatives to prevent plastic pollution in Cameroon and South Africa, with support from long-term funding partner Bunzl plc.

In Cameroon, the funding will see WasteAid continue to build waste management and plastic recycling capacity in the coastal city of Douala. Building on a previous project also funded by Bunzl plc, and with cooperation from the municipal council, WasteAid will recruit and train 30 unemployed youth to work in the plastic waste value chain, maximising the value recoverable from plastic collected from the city.

WasteAid will also run a multimedia communications campaign to engage citizens in the fight against plastic pollution, raise awareness of the problems caused by litter, and encourage people to separate their plastics for recycling.

In South Africa, WasteAid will be providing technical support and microgrants to waste picker groups in Johannesburg. This follows on from WasteAid’s Zero Waste Cities Challenge in 2021, which identified the specific needs of these groups to strengthen and grow their businesses and recover more value from waste materials.

Working with local associations, WasteAid will provide tailored training in business skills for up to 50 waste pickers to enable them to increase their earning potential. The training will be followed by the opportunity to pitch for microgrants to support their activities, for example for the purchase of handcarts or compactors, or rental of a premises for aggregating material.

James Pitcher, Head of Sustainability for Bunzl plc commented: “WasteAid’s projects help communities in lower-income countries set up waste collection and recycling services that protect the environment and provide livelihood opportunities. We are delighted to be supporting WasteAid as it continues its work in Cameroon, while giving grassroots initiatives in South Africa the support they need to grow.”

Over the last two years, with funding from Bunzl, WasteAid has provided infrastructure, training and employment to support livelihoods in recycling in Indonesia and Cameroon.

WasteAid CEO Ceris Turner-Bailes said: “We are extremely grateful to Bunzl plc for continuing its support for waste collection and recycling initiatives in the communities where WasteAid works. Pollution from poorly managed waste affects all of us, whether through health impacts, marine plastic pollution or climate change. This ongoing partnership means more people can benefit from being part of a circular economy, with all the long-term benefits this brings.”

In places with no waste collection service, plastic blocks drains which makes flooding worse for affected communities, and provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes, contributing to the spread of disease. Plastic waste that enters waterways eventually reaches the ocean, impacting marine wildlife and entering food chains. People often burn their waste to avoid the problems of litter, but this releases harmful emissions and contributes to climate change.

WasteAid is committed to supporting communities in setting up and maintaining waste collection and recycling programmes that can provide jobs, while keeping the environment free from litter. Waste management offers an affordable way for lower-income communities to improve livelihoods, and for countries to deliver the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their Nationally Determined Contributions for climate emissions abatement.

Written by Zoë Lenkiewicz

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 are a successful and growing specialist international distribution and services Group with operations across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and UK & Ireland. Bunzl support businesses all over the world with a variety of products and solutions that are essential for our customers in the successful operation of their businesses.
• Bunzl applies its resources and expertise to reduce or eliminate many of the hiddencosts of in-house procurement and self-distribution. The benefits to customers are a lower cost of doing business and reduced working capital and carbon emissions.
• Bunzl’soperations span across more than 30 countries. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange FTSE100 Index in the Support Services Sector with its global headquarters in London, UK.

Contact:

Rose Bradbury

Senior Fundraising & Communications Officer, WasteAid

media@wasteaid.org

On 14 January 2022, the British High Commission in Banjul hosted the launch of a new Circular Economy Network in The Gambia. Led by UK waste management NGO WasteAid, and funded by the UK’s Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, the Circular Economy Network will help improve the way resources and wastes are managed in The Gambia, preventing pollution and supporting livelihoods in a green economy.

At the launch event, H.E. Lamin Dibba, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change introduced the initiative, saying:

“This Circular Economy Network will support our national green recovery initiative, protect natural resources and prevent climate emissions. Importantly, it will raise the profile of sustainable resource management and provide a platform for national stakeholders and waste managers in the UK to collaborate.”

Currently, resources are used in a linear fashion and soon become waste, which can pollute the ground, air and water courses and impact people’s health. By shifting to a more circular economy, valuable resources can be kept in use for longer, providing livelihood opportunities and enabling The Gambia to become more self-sufficient and resilient to climate change.

WasteAid will be sharing recycling knowledge and skills, training 30 vulnerable people to generate income from wastes, and supporting local innovation through seed funding and business support to a circular economy enterprise.

The launch event was also attended by Deputy Mayor Binta Janneh-Jallow of Kanifing Municipal Council, who said:

“An important facet of this new Circular Economy Network project will be support for Gambian innovation to reduce, reuse and recycle different waste materials. Recycling provides livelihood opportunities by turning waste into a resource and benefitting all aspects of society.”

The aim of this initiative is to establish a professional network of people and organisations in The Gambia who can support each other in the development of a circular economy, and is sustained after the project completes.

British High Commissioner David Belgrove has been very supportive of WasteAid and is well-aware of the need for improved waste management.

Mr Belgrove commented: “We were pleased to host the launch of this Circular Economy Network project led by WasteAid, which will add to the momentum that has already built up for a green recovery here in The Gambia. WasteAid and British waste management professionals will be sharing their experience and expertise with Gambian counterparts, further strengthening the ties between our two countries.”

Circular Economy Network members will be able to access training and take part in knowledge sharing sessions alongside experienced waste managers from the UK. Network activities will assist with regional and cross-sector cooperation, to help Government Ministries, Councils, businesses and community-based organisations work together to progress sustainable waste management in The Gambia.

Ceris Turner-Bailes, CEO of WasteAid added: “WasteAid has been active in The Gambia since 2015 and the country remains at the heart of WasteAid’s work. The Gambia has some significant waste management challenges, but there are also ambitious policymakers, committed councils and an engaged civil society willing to deliver the change that is needed.

“That is why, when the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management expressed a desire to support our work, The Gambia was our top priority. We are looking forward to engaging with stakeholders in The Gambia and the UK on this unique initiative to support the development of a professional waste management sector and drive for a more circular economy.”

Adam Read, President of the UK’s Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, which is funding the Circular Economy Network in The Gambia said: “The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is delighted to see this exciting partnership spring to life, and we look forward to playing an active role in delivering increasingly sustainable waste management practices in the Greater Banjul Area of The Gambia. The provision of funding for this large-scale delivery project demonstrates our continued commitment to advancing waste and resource management capability and enabling the transition to more circular economies across the globe.”

WasteAid welcomes all interested parties to join the Circular Economy Network, and will be promoting activities through a communications campaign. Please contact WasteAid’s Project Coordinator in The Gambia, via gambiaCEN@wasteaid.org.

Written by Zoë Lenkiewicz

PRESS RELEASE

• Dow and WasteAid have partnered to advance the collection and recycling of plastic waste in Egypt.
• The partnership builds on WasteAid’s work increasing awareness and skills for a circular economy in Africa.
• Pilot projects will prevent plastic pollution and support local innovation and livelihood opportunities.

WasteAid, the international non-governmental organisation that shares waste management and recycling skills in lower- and middle-income countries, has entered into an 18-month funded partnership with materials science company Dow to advance plastic waste recovery and recycling in Egypt.

The partnership extends Dow’s global commitment to help advance a circular economy for plastics and reduce plastic waste and pollution in Africa. The project will see the organisations work with the public, private and community-level actors in Aswan, Egypt to support scalable and sustainable solutions for the collection and valorisation of post-consumer polyethylene (PE), which is used in a wide range of packaging applications, such as food packaging and household products.

Ceris Turner-Bailes, WasteAid CEO said: “A circular economy depends upon all parts of the value chain working in unison, from manufacturers and brands, to waste collectors and recyclers. We are delighted to be launching this partnership with Dow to uncover local solutions in Aswan to the recovery and recycling of plastic, with a particular focus on supporting informal waste collectors and recycling innovators who play a critical role in keeping materials in the loop.”

WasteAid will explore hotspots of plastic pollution, and then support local organisations and innovators to increase PE recovery and recycling. The project will leverage the expertise of both Dow and WasteAid to develop strong links with existing markets for post-consumer plastics.

Sami Mainich, President North Africa and Levant at Dow, commented: “We have a duty to help address the plastics waste challenge in Egypt and the wider African continent. To do this, we must advance circular solutions to fully close the loop on plastics waste. We can’t do this alone however, so collaborations across the value chain are critical to driving and scaling innovative technology and initiatives that benefit local communities. We are confident that this important partnership with WasteAid will help us to achieve our vision of a circular economy for plastics in Egypt and potentially, further afield.”

Adwoa Coleman, Africa Sustainability and Advocacy Manager, Packaging and Specialty Plastics at Dow, said: “Having been aware of WasteAid’s work for a number of years, we are excited to be launching this partnership as part of Project REFLEX in Africa – Dow’s programme designed to recycle flexible packaging. Dow has a strong global sustainability strategy and this work in Africa underpins our commitment to keeping valuable materials in the loop, to the benefit of all of society and the environment. We are looking forward to working with WasteAid on this novel approach to building a circular plastics economy in Egypt.”

In 2020, a Sky News documentary, The Plastic Nile, uncovered the scale of plastic litter in Africa’s greatest river from its source, to where it meets the Mediterranean Sea (1). Worldwide, 95% of plastic packaging material value is lost to the economy after a short first-use cycle, and 32% escapes collections systems (2). Through this project, WasteAid and Dow will be working with local partners to turn a pollution problem into an economic opportunity, and strengthening the market for post-consumer plastics in Egypt.

In addition to finding new uses for post-consumer plastic, the project will have a strong socio-economic focus, to maximise the benefits of a circular economy among grassroots groups in Aswan. The partnership seeks to demonstrate the importance of locally-crafted solutions in the drive for recycling, sustainability and a circular economy.

This partnership is enabled by the Dow Business Impact Fund, a competitive grant program that designates corporate contributions toward shared value projects to help address social problems through the Company’s technology and expertise.

For more information visit: https://corporate.dow.com/seek-together/shared-value-business-impact-fund

Written by Zoë Lenkiewicz

ENDS

Notes

(1)  Plastic Nile: Pulling up plastic from the world’s longest river is horribly, frighteningly easy https://news.sky.com/story/plastic-nile-pulling-up-plastic-from-the-river-is-horribly-frighteningly-easy-11996674

(2)  Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “The New Plastic Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics and catalysing action”, January 2016.

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 communities in low-income countries to address the root causes of poor health, climate change and marine plastic pollution.

WasteAid shares waste management knowledge and skills with governments and communities in low-income countries; trains people to become self-employed recycling entrepreneurs; and influences decision-makers and the donor community to increase investment in waste management. For more information, please visit www.wasteaid.org or follow @WasteAid on Twitter.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive, and sustainable materials science company. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings, and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, and consumer care. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.

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