A multi-stakeholder platform to develop plastic waste collection in Senegal

Plastic pollution is a major problem in Senegal. Every year, the country generates nearly 200,000 tons of plastic waste, with a large part coming from Dakar. This has led to an environmental crisis which is affecting sanitation in the surrounding communities. Annual waste production in sub-Saharan Africa has increased to 174 million tons, and 90% of this waste is not properly managed (Yao et al., 2018). This is partly due to a lack of waste recycling services, infrequent waste collections, and the absence of a circular economy for plastics processing. Only 10 to 15% of plastic waste is recycled every year in the country. In addition, the sector has become fragmented, having an adverse impact on employment. Every day, over 1,000 young people and women work informally at the Mbeubess waste dump in Dakar, where they earn minimal income by collecting and selling waste, despite the difficult working conditions (World Bank, 2019).

The Senegalese government has taken certain measures, including the Plastics Act passed in 2020, which has had a significant impact on key operators in the plastics value chain. In particular, this law has halted the production of banned plastic products and led to rising prices for packaging made from alternative materials. However, this new legislation is threatening the livelihoods of nearly 35,000 young people and women, particularly those who sell water sachets, and has also impacted consumers, with the high cost of alternative packaging being reflected in the price of various products.

The project involves bringing together key players in the plastic waste collection and processing industry, and integrating informal workers into a formalized circuit of waste collection, thus creating more sustainable jobs along the entire chain. The aim is to separate plastic waste and general waste collection, in order to improve the plastic processing value chain.

The initiative focuses on three main pillars:

• Raising awareness about the issue of plastic and environmentally-friendly behavior through a community awareness campaign, in particular, by enlisting the help of community leaders to encourage the adoption of these habits.
• Optimizing the waste collection process to maximize the recycling rate, through the development of a separate collection model and logistics systems for different types of waste.
• Creating and safeguarding green jobs by formalizing the role of informal workers in the plastic value chain.

The FID funding will be used to develop and implement pilot initiatives in Senegal, which will focus on optimizing plastic waste collection by providing clear logistics solutions, and creating formally-employed, dedicated teams.

The TAARAL initiative has several long-term objectives:

• Eliminate single-use plastics and research and identify alternatives.
• Promote the design of reusable, recyclable and compostable packaging.
• Develop a waste collection system specifically for plastic, in order to increase the recycling rate.
• Raise awareness of environmentally-friendly behavior.
• Create sustainable jobs in the plastic collection and processing sector.