Benin
Gender equality
Promoting gender equality and changing social norms through youth engagement in Benin
Haskè Conseil, in partnership with the Senegalese National Society for Integrated Waste Management (SONAGED), has set out to improve the waste collection system and develop a circular economy that includes all stakeholders in the waste collection value chain. Through the TAARAL initiative (Alliance for Advancing Recycling, Awareness and Livelihoods in Plastics), FID has granted funding to unite key players in the plastic waste collection and processing industry in order to make a positive environmental and socio-economic impact. This project will create employment in the sector and improve the process for plastic recycling.
Project deployed by:
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:
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:
Projects
Projects funded by FID