Plastic waste is causing major environmental and health challenges in Cameroon. The country produces more than 600,000 tonnes of plastic every year with only 20% being recycled. The dumping and burning of waste cause the spread of disease, pollute land, air and water sources, and contribute to climate change. If its disposal is not properly managed discarded plastic can block drainage channels and make flooding worse for affected communities.

Blocked drains provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes and increase the spread of disease. If plastic is burned, it releases harmful emissions that can damage people’s health and contribute to the climate crisis.

WasteAid has been working in Cameroon since 2020 to fight plastic pollution both on land and in the sea by providing sustainable, practical solutions that not only address the environmental and health challenges of pollution but also empower and educate the communities where we are active.

WasteAid is taking part in the Big Give’s Green Match Fund campaign, which means that any donation made to WasteAid through our campaign link below will be DOUBLED until 27^th April.

Double your impact!

“I am 20 years old. I didn’t go to school this year because of financial issues… Now I know the different types of plastics. I didn’t know the positive impact that it may have just to recycle a bottle and now I keep my environment clean. By working in waste collection, I kept money so that next year, I will get back to school. Right now, I can say that I know many things about plastics. I would like to truly thank the project for this opportunity”

Fernanda – WasteAid programme participant.

Donate this Earth Day and help WasteAid support more people like Fernanda.

£8 doubled could provide the tools to turn woody waste into sustainable cooking fuel

£13 doubled could help promote our challenge funds that provide business incubation support to local entrepreneurs

£25 doubled could provide 10 bulk bags to enable waste collectors to collect more plastic waste and prevent it from going to landfill

£50 doubled could secure training for informal waste-collectors to increase the value of waste collected and improve health and safety practices

£125 doubled could provide a set of digital scales to ensure transparency and fair payment for waste collectors

£250 doubled could provide two plastic collection points in a community to reduce plastic in the environment

Donate today

We’re very excited to let you know that WasteAid has been selected to participate in the Big Give’s Green Match Funding campaign. We will be raising money to support our work improving livelihoods and the environment in Cameroon. Donations to this project will be matched for 7 days from 20^th to 27^th April 2023, which coincides with Earth Day on 22nd April.

One donation, twice the impact.

Here’s what your donation could help us achieve:

£8 doubled could provide the tools to turn woody waste into sustainable cooking fuel

£13 doubled could help promote our challenge funds that provide business incubation support to local entrepreneurs

£25 doubled could provide 10 bulk bags to enable waste collectors to collect more plastic waste and prevent it from going to landfill

£50 doubled could secure training for informal waste-collectors to increase the value of waste collected to increase the value of waste that is collected and improve health and safety practices

£125 doubled could provide a set of digital scales to ensure transparency and fair payment for waste collectors

£250 doubled could provide two plastic collection points in a community to reduce plastic in the environment

What happens during the Big Green Give?

Donations made to our project via theBigGive.org.uk will be matched during the campaign. If you would like to support our work this year, we highly recommend doing so during the Big Green Give matching campaign, when your donation will be doubled and make even more of a difference to us. Help us to support more like Mama Pasto.

Read Mama Pasto's story

What do I need to do? 

1. Add a calendar reminder to your diary for 20^th-27^th April including this link https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002PokXoAAJ
2. Have your 3D secure card details ready when you make your donation.
3. Finally, please pass on this message to anyone you think might be interested in supporting us and having their donation doubled.

Can my organisation get involved?

Absolutely! The more the merrier.

• Enable local people to segregate plastic waste for recycling by funding the construction and installation of 6 eco-collection points in their community.
• Or, fund a community-wide clean up events to remove plastic waste from drains and rivers to prevent stagnant water from building which creates public and environmental health issues.

WasteAid is pleased to announce they have been successful in securing funding from Norway’s largest private environmental fund, The Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, which supports international projects to reduce plastic pollution.

This two year project will extend WasteAid’s current work in The Gambia, bringing about positive environmental outcomes by empowering vulnerable communities to reduce and recycle plastic waste through a local recycling facility, to scale and offer employment and improved livelihoods to youth in the waste sector. Plans to start implementing this project will begin in the coming weeks…

… more updates to come as the project develops!

PRESS RELEASE

16 December 2022

WasteAid’s recent work in Cameroon has led to people in need of support securing employment and improving their livelihoods whilst keeping plastic out of the ocean. WasteAid’s Widening the Net UK Aid Match appeal launched in May 2019 and was supported through donations made by the British public and match funding from the UK government.

Despite Covid-19 posing great difficulties to the project’s delivery, WasteAid worked with local partner RED-PLAST to train 165 unemployed local youths, women and men in waste recovery solutions and problems posed by plastic waste, including consequences to environmental and public health, so as to help them enter the waste management workforce and scale up capacity to recover recyclable plastic waste. WasteAid has also developed a productive relationship with the local council, whose staff supported the project, particularly its campaign to raise awareness among business owners and market stall holders to enable collection of their plastic waste for recycling.

Project participant Damaris said: “I was unemployed and have a disability, so in a difficult financial situation. I want to be useful to society. This training on paving tiles production will help me gain knowledge to keep the environment clean and to make products from plastic waste.”

Ceris Turner-Bailes, CEO of WasteAid, says: “We’re very grateful to those who supported our fundraising appeal in 2019 that enabled our work in Douala. We’re proud to have delivered an impactful programme that has improved the lives of many within the communities where we work through training and economic opportunity, whilst at the same time reducing plastic pollution within the Douala estuary.”

As a result of implementing a more efficient and effective plastics collection and recycling system in the borough Douala III, over 17 tonnes of plastic were prevented from entering and polluting the ocean, which is the equivalent of more than 850,000 bottles. Trainees went on to collect nearly another 30 tonnes of plastic from local businesses, preventing further pollution to local rivers and drains. Employment was also secured for those in need of support, thanks to generosity of British public and UK government. Project participants expressed having greater confidence and transferable skills to access long-term job opportunities in and outside of the waste sector, with 74% of participants now employed as a result of the training and work experience. Some are employed by our partner RED-PLAST, some elsewhere and some have set up their own enterprise to collect recyclables.

Julienne, a waste collector in Douala, shared her experiences following the training. She said: “I am collecting plastic bottles to clean the environment, to avoid clogging waterways and causing flooding, and to save the health of the community. This activity also helps me and my team to take care of ourselves and our families.”

WasteAid would like to thank the UK government and the UK public who supported their Widening the Net campaign. With this help and through this project, WasteAid’s vision of a world in which waste causes no harm, and where people in poverty are empowered to recover its value, has been supported.

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 UK Aid Match

• UK Aid Match brings charities, the British public and the UK government together to collectively change the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
• It is designed to allow the British public to have a say in how UK aid is spent and provide opportunities to engage with international development issues, whilst boosting the impact of the very best civil society projects to reach the poorest people in developing countries.
• For every £1 donated to a UK Aid Match charity appeal by an individual living in the UK, the UK government will also contribute £1 of UK aid, up to £2 million, to help these projects go further in changing and saving lives.

For further information visit www.ukaidmatch.org

Contact:

Rose Bradbury

Senior Fundraising & Communications Officer

WasteAid

media@wasteaid.org

www.wasteaid.org

On 18^th October 2022, WasteAid hosted a pitching event for their “Bunzl Waste Entrepreneurial Challenge” in Randburg, South Africa. As their funding partner, Bunzl Plc has played a significant role in enabling the tailored training of 20 Wastepreneurs working in the informal sector over a 12-week period. The training has been delivered by local professionals in the waste space who have equipped the Wastepreneurs with skills and knowledge to help them move up the waste value chain in South Africa. The pitching event signified the end of the training and was an opportunity for the Wastepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges and receive a portion of seed funding.

The WasteAid team in South Africa was joined by members of the Bunzl team including James Pitcher, their Head of Sustainability and Melanie Harris, a Key Account Manager from Bunzl in Western Australia. We were able to catch up with Melanie on her experiences whilst visiting the project.

Thank you for joining WasteAid in South Africa Melanie! Please could you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to visit WasteAid at the pitching event in Randburg?

I am a Key Account Manager for Bunzl in Western Australia, managing Fortescue Metals Group. FMG are a mining company employing over 10,000 people. We supply their workwear and PPE. I was fortunate enough to win the Bunzl Global “We Believe Sustainability” award, chosen out of 21,000 employees and 70 nominations from our various business units around the world. This award was presented to someone whose role isn’t technically in sustainability, but has demonstrated a commitment and passion in this space. This was for the work I had done with my FMG in helping them achieve their ambitious sustainability objectives through multiple initiatives (which are ongoing). The prize was to join our Global Head of Sustainability for the Waste Aid/Bunzl Waste Entrepreneurial Challenge.

What were your first impressions of WasteAid and our work?

I was blown away by the passion and commitment of the WasteAid members I met in person (Jessica, Angela and Rebecca) and virtually (Michelle), who are all such lovely people and so passionate about their business. The work that WasteAid is doing in marginalized communities is beyond inspiring.

Did your expectations of the visit match with the realities?

In reality, I didn’t know what to expect… but there is no way I could have envisioned such an amazing experience. Without slipping into hyperbole, the visit was a life changing experience; to see the realities of life in South Africa and what these young people face was both confronting and inspiring. South Africa: Equal parts terrifying and inspiring! On day one, we were meant to visit Diepsloot where 800,000 people live in a 12km2 area; in abject poverty. Crime is high, sexual assault is high, living conditions are atrocious. 25,000 people (out of the 800,000) share 640 public toilets, which equates to 39 families sharing 1 toilet.

The informal sector is responsible for 90% of waste collection, and the result is that waste is literally everywhere; leading to obvious sanitation issues…and burning of waste contributes to 10% of ozone emissions. As a result, the informal sector is the solution, and individuals act as waste pickers; they pick up rubbish and return to “buy back” centres to make a living. The buy-back centres then sell back to bigger manufacturers who shred the plastic and sell to the big recyclers (a big one here is Petco) or big companies such as Coca Cola (who have recyclable targets to meet), or export to China. The waste pickers can walk 40km a day and get about $30 AUD per week. We saw the pricing at a buyback centre; for PET material a waste picker will receive 5 RAND per kg (50c in AUD). On the Pitch Day to see them strive to make a better life for themselves and their families; and to see such joy and pride shine through…it will stay with me forever.

What was the main take away you had from the visit?

So many, it’s hard to narrow it down to one. My first impression is how good we have it in Australia compared to the environment these people are living in. But also, how a program like this can actually change people’s lives. It’s also a reminder that Sustainability is something different to everyone; in very real terms for the people we met, it means making a living.

Do you think a partnership like the one between WasteAid and Bunzl is important, and if so, why?

Absolutely! The partnership is impacting people’s lives; we saw this first-hand. I have never been prouder of the company and cant stress enough how crucial it is that we continue to support charities in this manner. I plan to continue grow awareness in Australia and would ultimately strive to work on (assist with) programs here or even abroad. Sustainability is my passion, whilst not technically my role at Bunzl.

• WasteAid has confirmed a new partnership with Partners Group Impact (Verein) (“PG Impact”), to expand its Cameroon programme, enabling more marginalised communities to recover the value of waste through recycling and waste management in Douala, Cameroon.

• The programme will divert more waste from landfills and improve waste management in low-income communities through circular economy solutions and entrepreneurship.
• This partnership will give more programme participants the opportunity of long-term employment in the waste sector and supports people and planet through sustainable solutions to the waste crisis.

WasteAid is delighted to announce a grant from the employee foundation of Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm. The foundation, named Partners Group Impact (Verein) (“PG Impact”) supports entrepreneurial projects and organizations that create positive, high-impact and measurable social and/or environmental benefits. PG Impact is managed entirely by Partners Group employees, who contribute their time and expertise to identify, evaluate and invest in high-impact projects.

This partnership will build on learnings taken from previous work that WasteAid has carried out in Cameroon and will expand their current programme. A Plastic Recycling Facility (“PRF”) will be built in the local area and 30 marginalized youths will be trained to collect, sort, clean and process plastic waste, and the project will support them to link with off takers to drive income while at the same time increasing the plastic feedstock available locally. The benefits of the PRF will far outlive the life of the project; it will create sustainable opportunities and improved livelihoods for youths in the area and will also generate positive impact for the broader community and the environment.

The environmental impact of this project can be measured by an estimated minimum of 180 MT of plastic waste per year that will be removed from the community and processed through the PRF. The PRF will divert plastic from landfills, reduce the need to burn plastic waste and contribute to reducing pollution of the Douala Estuary, which contains extensive mangrove forests, which are being damaged by pollution and population pressures.

Ceris Turner-Bailes, CEO of WasteAid says, “We’re so pleased to announce this further element within our Cameroon Programme that has been made possible through the support received from Partners Group. We hope that this will be just the start of a fantastic partnership which we know will have such a positive impact in the countries and communities where we work. Together we will work to support communities to tackle the waste crisis as well as improving livelihoods, through waste recovery and circular economy innovation.”

Partnership is a key component of every WasteAid project, from funding to technical partners as well as implementing partners in the countries where WasteAid works. Each relationship is critical to project success. WasteAid is pleased to welcome more partners to join them in tackling the waste crisis through circular models, local innovation and improved waste management systems.

If you are interested in partnering with WasteAid, to be part of their work and reach more communities please get in touch.

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 Partners Group Impact (Verein)

• Partners Group employee foundation PG Impact (Verein) supports entrepreneurial non-profit organizations and social enterprises that create positive, high-impact and measurable social and environmental benefits.
• Founded in 2006, it is run entirely by Partners Group employees who contribute their time and expertise to identifying, evaluating and investing in high-impact projects benefitting disadvantaged populations and the environment.
• Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm with USD 131 billion in AuM and more than 1,600 professionals across 20 offices worldwide.

Contact:

Rose Bradbury

Senior Fundraising & Communications Officer

WasteAid

media@wasteaid.org

www.wasteaid.org