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.

• 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 

On 8^th September 2022 members of the Circular Economy Network in The Gambia were brought together and introduced to the three finalists for the Waste to Use challenge. An initiative that is part of the circular economy project known locally as Dennakuwo, and funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).

Plastics Recycling Gambia Ltd

Plastics Recycling Gambia Ltd buys plastic waste from informal waste collectors, established companies, dump sites and individuals. Currently, they have set-up over 21 buying/collection points across the greater Banjul area and Barra. An allocated person is positioned at each collection point to buy plastics from local residents. After collection, the plastic is sorted by colour, type and quality and then stripped of any residual waste. The clean and sorted plastic is ground and packaged into 25 kg bags. The re-grind is used to manufacture local dust bins, tiles, agricultural tools etc., or alternatively sold on the local and regional markets to plastic manufacturing companies (Gambia and Senegal) with demand from Europe as well.

African Swag collection

African Swag collection is a sole proprietary tailoring and design business, owned and managed by a young Gambian woman. The brand offers ready-to-wear and contemporary apparels for men, women and children, and also recycles plastic waste focusing on bubble wrap that’s mostly thrown away, and turns fabric waste into related fashion accessories.

Through 3R methodology (Reuse, Reduce and Recycle), the bubble wrap is turned into sellable products like, shower caps, school bags, safety bags, safety purses, jackets, rain coats, windbreakers, painting mats, servicing aprons for make-up artists, caterers, gardeners, painters and vendors. They also have a production centre where young girls are trained on how to make each of these products and are presented in a showroom for display.

Green Waste Initiative

Green Waste Initiative is a social enterprise that specialises in the production and sale of briquettes. The enterprise produces quality, clean and safe fuel as an alternative to other domestic fuel products such as charcoal and firewood. They also promote educational awareness about the dangers of air pollution from charcoal and firewood, and the contribution of deforestation to global warming. They are currently producing a charcoal briquette called “Rinkoo”, which is a smokeless charcoal briquette that is healthy, safe and durable. The ash produced from the fuel can be utilised as an organic fertiliser for flowers and plants. This product is made purposely to discourage the cutting down of trees for charcoal and firewood production.

Ceris Turner-Bailes, CEO of WasteAid, says:

“We’re thrilled to welcome these three innovative finalists to the next stage of the Waste to Use competition, it’s fantastic to work with businesses that are reducing waste and expanding their reach by dealing with different waste streams. Our partnership with CIWM has made this project possible in The Gambia through our Circular Economy Network.”

The finalists will now undergo business mentoring and prepare for their final pitch in December 2022, where the top solution will receive an investment of D350,000. This challenge is an opportunity for businesses already pioneering ways to recover, reuse and divert as much waste as possible from landfill in the Greater Banjul Area to develop their businesses, as well as creating much needed livelihoods for people in poverty.

CIWM’s Technical Manager, Richard Hudson says:

“These three finalists prove that even in a challenging environment, it is possible to have a genuinely circular project that reuses and recycles, moving to a world beyond waste. CIWM is delighted to be involved in the Waste to Use challenge, which will make a genuine difference to the lives of people in the Gambia. We would like to offer our congratulations to the finalists ahead of their pitch, and we look forward to supporting them further through engagement with the CIWM membership base.”

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

Please follow the WasteAid on LinkedIn and Twitter for the latest updates.

Sign up to our newsletter, here.

Hello Friends

Yet again, it has been a remarkably busy period for WasteAid over the last few months.

We started 2022 with our biggest ever portfolio of programmes starting work in a country entirely new to us, Egypt. Supported by Dow Packaging, WasteAid is facilitating local solutions to dealing with flexible plastic waste in the Aswan area of the country, as well as bringing key stakeholders together in a network approach to tackle the general issue of solid waste management in the country. We have been warmly welcomed into Egypt and are now collaborating with committed and engaged stakeholders from government, private enterprise, community-based organisations and the informal sector. In Spring 2022, we commenced a partnership with Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in South Africa – we were fortunate to be one of only a handful of organisations that received funding through WRAP’s International Circular Plastic Flagship Projects Competition. This project has been quite a gear shift for us in South Africa and we have welcomed new team members and again new partners in the project. We are proud to be working with both the University of Portsmouth and with the local authority in Mpumalanga State on a feasibility study which will review WasteAid’s whole systems approach to waste management in a rural area. The results of this study will help to inform our work moving forward and this is an exciting step. We are now seeking partnerships that will help us scale this approach in rural South Africa and to build on our findings from this project which comes to an end in March 2023. At the same time, January 2022 saw us commencing our partnership with CIWM in Gambia, continuing our partnership with Bunzl in Cameroon and then moving into South Africa where we launched the Bunzl Entrepreneurial Challenge Fund aimed at supporting young people on the frontline of waste management in townships in Johannesburg. The progress of these projects has been fabulous to see and the dedication of our global team delivering this work is inspiring.

Apart from a much-expanded project portfolio, in May we were honoured to attend Biffa’s Annual Gala that was held for the benefit of WasteAid. This was a fantastic evening and the funds raised will further support WasteAid’s work. In one evening, an astonishing figure of £104,000 was raised. We cannot thank the Biffa team enough for such a fantastic event and an amazing contribution to WasteAid’s funds. It is these types of funds that are critical to WasteAid’s continued success – allowing us to develop new interventions, develop new partnerships and critically implement our projects. We are always ambitious to do as much as we can to deliver circular economy and waste management solutions in the countries where we work and having such a generous general donation allows us to prioritise where we need to spend this money across our principal countries of Cameroon, Gambia and South Africa.

So, it has yet again been a busy year for the team at WasteAid, we are right now preparing to attend the RWM / Let’s Recycle Exhibition at Birmingham NEC. We will have a stand there in Hall 19 Stand R-N183 and would encourage any and all of you who are attending to stop by to say Hello. The team look forward to telling you more of our work and answering any questions that you may have.

Looking forward to the last few months of 2022, WasteAid will be organising a small event to coincide with COP27 in November (more details soon) and the team has a busy schedule of travel ahead of them for the rest of 2022, supporting our international team and projects.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support to WasteAid and our work.

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. 

In April 2022 WasteAid was awarded funding through the International Circular Plastic Flagship Projects competition, an initiative led by the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to tackle plastic pollution across the globe.

Rebecca Henderson is WasteAid’s newly appointed Project Coordinator in South Africa, and will be overseeing the project. During this interview, we learn about Rebecca’s journey, how she came to work for WasteAid and why this project is so important for sustainable development in South Africa.

Welcome to the WasteAid team, Rebecca! Please could you tell us a bit about your background and how you began working with WasteAid in South Africa?

It’s a brisk winter morning in Johannesburg South Africa and we are planning the next steps of our feasibility study for the WRAP UKRI Circular Plastics Flagship competition. It’s exciting work and often I have to think, “How did I get here?”

Born and bred in Mzanzi “the city of gold”, Johannesburg is defined by stark contrasts between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, degradation and beauty. Acutely aware of this from a young age, my life has been a process of discovering where I can serve the communities and environment that shaped me.

My passion for people and planet led me to volunteer and work with some amazing organisations in different countries over the years, and it was through this journey that I fell into the waste space. I was working as a product developer for a consumer products multinational in London (ironically whilst volunteering for an environmental organisation). A struggle was playing out inside me as I processed piles of overly packaged products destined for a short life in retail where they would be sold, temporarily loved, and then discarded when the next trend was constructed. I made small changes to reduce the waste, but my heart kept bringing me home; where seemingly worthless items are quickly scooped up and held as prized possessions by those who can’t afford trendy new items.

Circling back to my home town, I started working for an organic waste recycling start up where I connected with an amazing community who were all working toward the same goals. Over the years I consulted as a project manager for environmental SMMEs in the waste, research and sustainability fields, while completing a degree in environmental management. It was through these connections that I found WasteAid. I had just completed my degree and was looking for my next project when I got the call that would bring me to where I am now.

What were your first impressions of WasteAid and our work? How do you think WasteAid can help in South Africa?

When I learnt that WasteAid was undertaking a project to deliver waste solutions in rural South Africa, I jumped at the opportunity. People often look at waste as an isolated problem, but WasteAid views waste as a systematic issue that goes to the heart of how we value and utilise resources. Only by looking at the whole value chain and the systems that support it, can we begin to understand the causes and solutions for the issues we create. By connecting with all stakeholders and seeking to understand the core issues at all levels can we create meaningful change. With a wealth of skills, knowledge and an ear to the ground WasteAid is working smart to promote sustainable development.

Please could you give an overview of the amazing work you’re doing on the Masibambisane Circular Economy project, and any engagement you’ve had from local stakeholders so far?

WRAP and UKRI are spearheading a global competition to deliver waste management solutions in developing countries, with a focus on plastics pollution. Through a one-year feasibility study, we will test approaches to drive separation, decontamination, collection, processing and end market development for waste streams including low value plastics.

Although recycling of high value materials such as glass is well established in South Africa, low value plastics are often neglected and end up entering our environment; polluting our terrestrial and aquatic systems and impacting on both human and animal health. Due to a lack of waste management, these materials are often dumped and burnt in communities; causing further health and environmental impacts and contributing to climate change.

As a founding member of the Plastics Pact, WRAP seek to ensure that 70% of all plastic packaging is recycled. Through our interventions we will support the goals of the South Africa Plastics Pact by creating and circulating value for waste in rural communities, which often lack the infrastructure and resources that larger cities like Johannesburg have.

To drive increased source separation and collections at community level, WasteAid is working with local government, community champions, waste collectors and households to undertake a behaviour change campaign in our pilot zone in the Mountain View KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga. Our partner, the University of Portsmouth, will be supporting the collection phase by implementing creative participatory approaches such as theatre, street art and music to raise awareness, promote participation and support waste collectors. We also have a technical business expert in circular economies who will be supporting local waste players to develop their business capacities, investigate how they can mutually support each other and link them to end markets with the goal of creating more circular systems for the rural economy.

Our amazing collaborative team have been working with local stakeholders to understand the challenges and opportunities in context. We have used participatory approaches to host focus group sessions, conduct community surveys and develop a pilot approach. We have gained the support of the local chief who will assist us in conducting a community meeting at the beginning of September. Here the community will meet the team and help us decide on appropriate interventions to support collections and local waste pickers. We are also developing tailor made business capacity training programmes to support waste collectors and processors that have been working on the ground with the support of DARDLEA, the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs.

We have been humbled and inspired by the enthusiasm in the community, and are looking forward to working with them to bring the circular economy to life. As a local community member said, “I just want to wake up and be able to breath fresh air.”

What are the current struggles with waste and recycling in South Africa, and what are we hoping to achieve with this project?

By engaging with and learning from various stakeholders we have identified some key struggles that contribute to the current waste management challenges in our communities. It is easy to point to insufficient collections and lack of integration of recycling into a formal waste management system run by government, who have the difficult task of providing services with few resources.

However, education and awareness are equally as important in changing behaviour at community level. Many people understand the value of tins or glass bottles, but more awareness and education are needed on the various types of plastics, their recyclability and value. There is significant work being done on glass, tin and high value plastics like PET because the main driver for informal waste pickers, collectors and buy back centres is cost per kg. Our aim in this project is to see how we can further develop linkages in these markets but also investigate mechanisms to drive more collections and processing of waste that has lower market value, after all: ALL waste has value. By facilitating mutually beneficial linkages between those in the waste sector we hope to improve the collections and processing of recyclables to feed back into local end markets.

Communities are also blamed for the state of their environments, but are often left with no other option but to burn their waste, despite awareness of the health impacts. Additionally, plastic litter is eaten by livestock leading to illness and mortality of livestock, and subsequent poisoning of humans who consume the meat. As WasteAid we hope to tackle these issues by creating awareness, providing mechanisms to join the dots and support actors who are already doing great work in their communities.

Though not in the scope of this project, it is also important to recognise the role that producers play. WasteAid recognises that policy developments such as the Extended Producer Responsibility are key to tackling the early stages of plastics production by rethinking how products are made. We look forward to working with key role players in South Africa for future projects.