WasteAid launches ambitious £1 million fundraising campaign to mark a decade of making a difference

WasteAid, the UK-based environmental and development charity, is aiming to celebrate its 10th anniversary by raising £1 million over the next two years.

The non-profit organisation will mark a decade of reducing the environmental impact of dumped and burned organic, plastic, electronic, and textile waste around the globe in 2025. The campaign will allow it to continue existing programmes and expand its support to even more communities in need.

WasteAid’s work supports communities around the world that are facing some of the greatest challenges caused by the global waste crisis. The charity connects key decision-makers at every level of the waste value chain, from governmental representatives to waste collectors, to find lasting solutions to waste management. By providing technical expertise, training, mentoring, investment, and creating circular economy networks it not only aims to reduce the environmental impact of dumped waste but to also alleviate poverty and reduce the health impact caused by toxins leaking into the water and air.

Ceris Turner-Bailes, Chief Executive at WasteAid, said: “There has never been a more urgent need to empower communities around the world to find lasting solutions to the global waste crisis. This isn’t someone else’s problem. It’s something that impacts all of us – dumped and burned plastic, organic and textile waste, as well as electronic items account for more CO2 released into the atmosphere than the aviation industry. That’s why at WasteAid we think globally but work at a local level to deliver lasting solutions.

“As we look towards celebrating a decade of making a difference in 2025, we want to launch an ambitious campaign that will allow us to continue to make positive changes to communities and the environment. This is our largest campaign to date, and we hope that with the help of our supporters, it will be a huge success and allow us to make an even greater difference in the future.”

WasteAid helps some of the most vulnerable communities around the globe to reduce waste pollution. Through its collaborative approach with local authorities, businesses, and community leaders, WasteAid delivers targeted, impactful programmes that support a local circular economy, and provide livelihood opportunities, training and skills for its programme participants, while also investing in locally appropriate infrastructure.

The charity is committed to supporting the informal sector – which is often among the most marginalised – and showcasing how a circular economy benefits everybody.  Its response is always practical, locally appropriate, and focused on delivering lasting sustainable change. WasteAid’s whole-systems approach combines community behaviour change programmes, household collection infrastructure, and supporting collector groups, right through to identifying end-market solutions for waste.

Since 2020, more than 1.3 million people have been positively impacted by WasteAid’s work. In the last year alone 228 entrepreneurs have completed their green business incubation training and almost 1,600 people have taken part in circular economy network events, webinars, and campaigns while WasteAid has invested more than £113,800 in waste entrepreneurs’ business initiatives.

The charity has most recently implemented programmes in Cameroon, Egypt, South Africa and The Gambia. Its fundraising efforts will focus on expanding its partnerships with organisations in the UK and internationally to expand its programmes. It already enjoys successful collaborations with organisations including Biffa, Bunzl Plc, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), Norwegian Retailers Environment Fund (NREF), Partners Group and Huhtamaki. WasteAid’s programmes have equally been supported by UK Government and European Union grants. It will also be appealing to individual donors through its participation in the Big Give charity appeal later this month and another high-profile broadcast appeal in the new year.

WasteAid’s circular economy networks deliver long-term solutions to the waste crisis by bringing together key local stakeholders from government, commerce, academia, and the community. They provide a forum to develop a tailored response to local waste and recycling challenges. They also help to develop an integrated approach to a circular economy by providing access to training and support for people at every level of the waste management value chain.

Within these networks, there are opportunities for mentoring of green businesses, support for ‘wastepreneurs’ and fast-tracking local solutions through piloting innovations. These networks are key to ensuring that an inclusive circular economy is on the policy agenda and WasteAid’s programmes provide strong evidence of the positive impact of this approach on people and the planet.

Find out how you can support WasteAid’s campaign here.