Waste to Use Challenge finalists
News
Author: Admin
Published: 9 January 2025
Aimed at businesses committed to implementing circular waste and recycling initiatives, WasteAid’s Waste to Use Challenge, part of a project funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), plays a significant role in developing innovative green businesses and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Developing Green Businesses
In October 2024 the second Waste to Use Challenge selected 6 finalists from a pool of high quality applicants. The finalists are all developing sustainable business models that see the value in waste and promote the circular economy.
NAACO
NAACO Enterprise, founded in 2019 by Alfusainey Sey and Fabakary Jammeh, transform organic waste into high-quality compost to address waste management and agricultural challenges in The Gambia.
Alfusainey Sey and Fabakary Jammeh of NAACO
With expertise in sustainable farming and business management, NAACO will work with marketplaces and fishing communities to divert organic waste from landfills, creating an organic fertiliser as an affordable alternative to chemical fertilisers. To meet growing demand, NAACO plans to scale up operations by establishing a large-scale composting facility, forming partnerships for steady waste collection, and enhancing production methods.
NAACO also focuses on empowering women farmers through training in soil management, creating jobs, and promoting sustainable agriculture to alleviate poverty and environmental harm.
Precious Plastics
Precious Plastic Gambia is a social enterprise dedicated to combating plastic pollution while empowering local communities in The Gambia. By transforming waste into valuable products like furniture, household items, and construction materials, the business promotes environmental conservation and economic growth.
Boubacar Camara, Precious Plastics
Led by Boubacar Camara and a skilled team, it provides job opportunities, skills training, and educational programs to uplift marginalised groups, especially youth and women. Though having only launched production in May 2024 it’s success has meant Precious Plastic Gambia is scaling planning on operations, expanding product lines, and building a circular economy.
If successful, the Waste To Use seed funding would go towards growing its workforce, increasing production, and establishing additional recycling hubs, further driving positive environmental and social change across the region.
Señorita
Señorita is an innovative upcycling business in The Gambia, transforming discarded car tires and fabric scraps into eco-friendly products such as furniture, accessories, reusable bags, and home décor. Led by founder Maimuna Ndure, a climate change activist, the business promotes sustainability, affordability, and community empowerment.
Maimuna Ndure, Señorita
By offering affordable, durable products to diverse customers, including small businesses, vendors, and eco-conscious individuals, Señorita reduces environmental pollution while creating jobs and supporting gender equality. With Waste To Use Funding, they have plans to scale production, expand marketing, and improve logistics.
Their primary market is hotels and tourists, which is The Gambia’s largest industry, and they are fast becoming a leader in the upcycling and eco-friendly sector, driving positive environmental and social impact.
CASA Gambia
CASA Gambia is a community-driven organization dedicated to addressing plastic pollution and promoting sustainable waste management practices in The Gambia. Through initiatives such as school-based waste segregation programs, composting, and community awareness campaigns, CASA Gambia aims to instil environmentally responsible behaviours and create employment opportunities for youth.
CASA Gambia
Led by a team with expertise in education, climate change, and community development, the project leverages partnerships with local councils and recycling firms to implement practical and scalable waste solutions. By integrating environmental education with hands-on waste collection and recycling activities, CASA Gambia empowers young people, promotes gender equity, and contributes to a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.
Yaws Creations
Yaws Creations, since 2007, has been driving and influencing art and design through Fashion. Yaws Creations is a well-known business throughout The Gambia with both local and international customers, selling unique designs and creations.
Awa Conateh, Yaws Creations
Awa Conateh is the creative director, she has 17 years’ experience as a fashion designer, events planner and business owner. Whilst already having a successful business, Awa is keen to expand and in doing so she wants to support the waste management issues in The Gambia and globally, by utilising textiles waste to create new fashion items.
If successful, she will use the Waste to Use seed funding to employ and train local residents in patchworking, purchase machinery to produces the design and instigate a transport system for obtaining textile waste from local tailors. She also aims to use her social media presence to advertise and promote textiles recycling and upcycling.
Sidrah Salam
Musa SIllah is the CEO and founder of Sidrah Salam, a Food and Agriculture company specialising in contract farming and processing, which was established in 2021. His business requires high quality organic fertiliser to grow crops.
Musa SIllah, Sidrah Salam
With a background in engineering, he was able to design and build a machine to grind groundnut husks, an abundant source of food waste in The Gambia. Traditionally groundnut husk was ground by hand, which is time and labour intensive. When machine ground, the husk becomes an affordable and effective addition to composting which has been proven to increase decomposition time and improve the quality of fertiliser.
With Waste to Use seed funding, Sidrah Salam will expand their groundnut husk production to sell to local farmers to improve composting and quality of the crop yield and reduce dependence on costly imported chemical fertilisers.
Nurturing Innovation
All the green businesses and entrepreneurs have been supported with a programme of mentoring and business training, provided through the Circular Economy Network, leading up to the opportunity to pitch for a share of £12,000GBP seed funding for scaling their business.
The Waste to Use Challenge nurtures innovative businesses that support the circular economy, and are pioneering ways to recover, reuse and divert as much waste as possible from landfill to develop their businesses, as well as creating much needed livelihoods for people in poverty.
Congratulations to all the finalists, and our thanks to all members of the Circular Economy Network for their engagement and contributions to this project.