ASASE Foundation, a non-governmental organization in Ghana, is poised to separately collect all plastic packaging in Accra for recycling by 2030. This initiative will enable communities to cash in the maximum value to invest for their sustainable future. The plastic waste collected will be re-processed into products of use for the development of underprivileged communities, fair employment opportunities will be created, and women entrepreneurs will be key players in this progress.
To empower communities suffering from the effects of plastic waste littering, the ASASE foundation has set up Plastic Recycling Plants in Accra, which serves as a social enterprise model to create jobs and keep most of the value generated by recycling plastic in the community. Over the years, the ASASE Foundation has embarked on several community-led activities to ensure sustainable plastic waste management.
Community Engagement
ASASE has commenced community entry activities this year in the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly (WGMA) to facilitate collaboration, establish a community presence, build relationships, and understand local environmental health needs this year. This interaction was crucial for aligning initiatives with community priorities and ensuring effective environmental interventions. These activities include engagements with MEHOs, mapping exercises, and baseline surveys in selected schools. As part of ASASE’s commitment to empowering the communities, the mapping exercise has begun to understand the geographic and demographic aspects of the community. Additionally, a baseline survey is being conducted in some selected schools in the assembly to gather essential data. These initiatives will provide valuable insights for tailoring programs, ensuring targeted impact, and fostering sustainable community development.
Community-led Initiatives: Buying & Selling of Plastics
In 2023, ASASE’s continuous action in recovering plastics from communities improved. To empower women in the communities, ASASE supported Madam Anna Abordjor with PPEs, a tricycle and a rider for her operations in Adjie-Kojo (Tema West Municipality). The support has contributed to easy transportation of materials (LDPE) from the communities where she buys to her storage place and eventually to the CASH-IT! 2 factory where she sells her bagged materials. It is worth noting that her materials are of good quality, and she has since collected 14.2 tons from August 2023 till today. Also, some community workers spearheaded the community buying by moving tricycles to buy from the waste pickers daily in Katamanso and its neighbouring communities during the temporal shutdown of CASH-IT operation.
In all, they collected over 6.4 tons within 2 months until their operations were halted abruptly; attributed to financial constraints. The foundation also organized 7 buying sessions on Saturdays in Tema West (Adjie-Kojo, Santeo, Kanewu, Sakumono) and Kpone between June and September. At the end of the buying sessions, over 10 tons were recovered within that period, bolstering commitment to addressing plastic pollution in Ghana.
Involvement of schools in the community
ASASE Foundation’s approach to holistically supporting the community has called on the need to include schools in the various communities affected by plastic littering. The foundation has collected over 4 tons of materials (soft plastic and PET bottles) from 26 active schools in the Tema West municipality, demonstrating a significant effort to engage schools in responsible waste management practices and contribute to the overall goal of recycling plastic waste.
This year, 20 schools have been selected in the WGMA to receive training on plastic waste management, which will serve as a proactive approach to ensure a systematic and comprehensive engagement with schools in different regions and promote sustainable waste management practices among students and staff. ASASE Foundation will use information gathered from the schools selected in the WGMA to tailor training programs, identify specific challenges and implement targeted solutions.
World Clean-up Day
ASASE Foundation commemorated the World Clean-up Day celebration in 2023 with a clean-up exercise and a community buying activity in Kpone, where over 600kg of plastics were recovered. The team engaged with the community, collected plastic waste, and promoted the importance of environmental cleanliness.
The foundation’s participation in World Clean-up Day significantly impacted raising awareness about plastic pollution and actively contributing to the clean-up efforts. The community buying event in Kpone resulted in the collection of a substantial amount of plastics and fostered a sense of responsibility and community involvement in addressing environmental challenges.
Health and Safety
Ensuring the health and safety of workers and the environment is of utmost importance to the operations of the ASASE foundation. It involves implementing proper safety measures, adhering to industry standards, and being aware of potential hazards to create a safe working environment for all employees. ASASE has provided its employees with appropriate PPE, such as gloves and respiratory protection (nose masks), to minimize exposure to hazardous materials and chemicals.
All factory workers have undergone training on protocols and measures to ensure a secure working environment by focusing on industry standards, potential hazards, and the importance of adhering to safety guidelines. The foundation has also enrolled 75 staff and waste pickers on an active insurance package to allow them access to healthcare, enhancing employees’ overall well-being. Employees have received a full vaccination for hepatitis between September and October, while other scheduled vaccinations will include doses for Typhoid shots.
Contact us on (+233) 0209048511 or email us at asasefoundation@gmail.com.