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

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