Ghana

Empowering Waste Pickers in Ghana to Create an Alternative Urban Waste Management System

Project completed

Organisation

Environment360

Website

Support area

Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions

Funding

116968 €

Project duration

Aug, 2022 – Sep, 2024

The area of Tema New Town in southern Ghana lacks organised waste collection services due to inhabitants’ inability to afford them. Consequently, waste is being dumped or burned along the coastal line. To tackle this, Environment360 established a Pick-It sorting centre in Tema New Town to improve livelihoods of waste pickers and support an alternative waste collection system in line with Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions, which are the heart of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The project funded by IKI Small Grants targeted 30 waste picker leaders (70% women), providing them with direct training and support. This effort created an inclusive recycling model that helped recover over 327 tons of plastic, thereby reducing the amount of plastic that is illegally disposed of or burned.

Group presentation on profit and loss determination during practical session of training

Capacity development

IKI Small Grants supports Environment360 in their organisational capacity development through:

Training on grant writing
Training on monitoring and evaluation
General trainings on time management, negotiation, conflict, leadership, and report writing

Project videos

About the organisation

Environment360 is a non-profit organisation founded in 2014. Its vision is to develop inclusive circular economies that reduce poverty, increase resiliency and support climate adaption. The organisation’s programmes focus on enabling women, youth and persons with disabilities to mainstream science, technology, and innovation in all socio-economic activities to support zero-waste communities and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Environment360 supports the development of green job skills that increase resilience in urban cities and enhances the quality of life in rural communities.