TrashChallenge – Commonwealth Week 2022
TrashChallenge – Commonwealth Week 2022
With an estimated population of about 3 million, Yaoundé, the political capital of
Cameroon, produces about 1,800 tonnes of waste per day, or about 700,000 tonnes yearly. The population growth rate is estimated at 4.5% per year. The increasing urbanisation of the city leads to an ever more exponential growth of waste, and therefore makes the very recurrent question of its management worrisome. Several reports state that, 75% of waste comes from households, 20% from public services
and economic activities, and 5% from markets. Every year, thousands of tons of waste end up in landfills instead of being recycled. In Yaoundé, the city continues to languish under mountains of garbage that exhale a nauseating smell whose effects on the health of the population are immeasurable in these times of health crisis. The majority of diseases linked to the insalubrity of the environment are cardiovascular diseases, cancers and respiratory pathologies just to name a few.
In order to reduce this waste, people incinerate it, which increases the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and worsens the phenomenon of climate change, resulting in melting glaciers, rising sea levels, floods, heat waves and drought. Apart from incineration, majority of the waste generated finds its way in the environment improperly dumped in water bodies, drainage systems and along the streets in open dumpsites.
To contribute in resolving this problem, The Game Changers Initiative (under Closed-Loop System Ventures Foundation) and Young Volunteers for Environment (YVE Cameroon) in collaboration with partners implemented the #TrashChallenge activity on the sidelines of #TheCommonwealthWeek 2022, under the auspices of the British High Commission in Cameroon. This involved the collection of plastic waste from two locations within the city of Yaounde: the Biyem-Assi impot and Cité des Nations neighborhoods. This activity was carried out in collaboration with Name Recycling as the collected plastic waste was transported directly for treatment and recycling.
Objectives
The main objective was to ignite behavioral change in the communities by raising
awareness on rational waste disposal and dangers of plastic waste. Specifically, the project aimed to:
- Mobilise social actors (about 200 young people) around a cleanup activity (collection of plastic waste) within two neighborhoods in the city of Yaounde
- Conduct a digital campaign on the adoption of good waste management/disposal practices that involves the population.
- Prepare and produce a photo exhibition on the commitment of young people to sanitation in order to encourage the national authorities to support youth initiatives.
Outline of Activities
- The Trash Challenge was carried out on two major sites: Biyem-Assi Impot and Cite de Nation respectively.
- The activity started at 8am with the arrival of different participants/stakeholders
- The implementing partners welcomed participants and officially opened the activity.
- The main plastic waste collection site selected for official welcome ceremonies was Biyem-Assi Impot, after which all volunteers were divided into two groups in order to cover both sites simultaneously.
- After collection, the waste was handed over to the Namé Recycling company for eventual treatment and valorisation.
Beneficiaries
- Inhabitants of the two neighborhoods
- Youths
- Yaounde city dwellers
Participants
The activity recorded a massive participation of close to 200 volunteers including:
- Dignitaries from The British High Commission
- Dignitaries from Commonwealth
- Dignitaries from the Ministry of External Relations
- Dignitaries from the Nigerian Embassy
- Dignitaries from the Indian Embassy
- Game Changers volunteers
- Young Volunteers for Environment volunteers
- Namé Recycling Company
- Volunteers from Think Green Organisation
- Community youths