Since July 28, 2022, 6,000 plastic waste collectors operating in the informal sector in Ivory Coast have been receiving training from Coliba Africa. The objective is to increase their efficiency in the field.
Participants in the Coliba Africa training were selected in the Ivorian cities of Abidjan, Tiassalé, Yamoussoukro and Bouaké. To equip the 6,000 collectors, the Ivorian company specializing in plastic waste recycling has given itself until April 2024. In addition to reducing plastic pollution in the West African country, Coliba Africa wants to further encourage wealth creation through the recovery of this waste into marketable products.
Used plastic bottles are recycled into bottle caps, crates for local breweries, chairs, coolers, water pipes, and bottles of various sizes. Following the training, Coliba Africa will install 65 sorting centers and 100 plastic waste collection kiosks in the four Ivorian cities involved in the project. The collected and sorted waste will be recycled in a new plant. The Ivorian company estimates that the future facility will be able to recycle 15,000 tons of plastics annually.
USAID funding
“The West Africa Trade & Investment hub (Trade Hub) co-investment grant will help us fulfill our commitment to provide jobs in Abidjan, improve the environment and raise awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution in West Africa,” says Genesis Ehimegbe, Coliba Africa’s co-founder and CEO. Trade Hub is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
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The project follows Coliba Africa’s creation of a mobile application that connects households and small businesses with informal waste collectors in Ivory Coast. In exchange for plastic waste, households receive points that can be converted into payment for basic food items, while collectors are paid.
Inès Magoum
