WasteAid

WasteAid was excited to launch the second Waste to Use Challenge thanks to funding from the CIWM. Over 50 members of our Circular Economy Network, known locally as ‘Dennakuwo’ - meaning ‘together we can’, came together to hear about the opportunity to win investment funding for their business. The Challenge is open to members of the Circular Economy Network in The Gambia until 4th October and is targeted innovators and companies that have ideas on how to stop plastic, textile, and food waste getting into the environment in The Gambia. Many thanks to the British High Commission Banjul for hosting such an exciting event! Harriet King #circulareconomy #wastesolutions

📢 We’re #hiring! We’re looking for a Fundraising Officer to join our growing team. The purpose of this role is to support the Head of Fundraising and Head of Trusts in developing and delivering effective income generation and partner relationship management. This remote role has a starting salary of £32,000 per annum and is perfect for someone with a passion for sustainability. Sound like the job for you? Click the link to find out more and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/eZ_CuFJS #fundraisingofficer #fundraisingrole #charityjob #remotejobs

Following the fatal collapse of the Kiteezi dumpsite in Uganda our CEO, Ceris T., was invited by Packaging Europe magazine to share her experience of visiting the site earlier this year and the steps needed to prevent a repeat of this tragic incident. The collapse of the dumpsite onto people’s homes is a devastating reminder of the dangers of unmanaged waste and the urgency of our work. More than 34 people, including children, are now known to have been tragically killed in the incident with more than 30 people still missing. Click the link to read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e7ns8BYb

As part of our ongoing work in South Africa's Mpumalanga province, we were delighted to welcome the John Lewis Partnership Foundation’s local partner, Waitrose Foundation Southern Africa, to the launch of new community recycling collection points as part of a two-day event. Waitrose South Africa joined us in cleaning up illegal dumpsites, installing recycling collection points, educating the community about the dangers of open dumping and burning of waste and how to separate at source using the new recycling bins. Thanks to the John Lewis Partnership Foundation’s support, we are supporting 100 youths in the informal sector by providing them with the skills and support they need to start their own green micro-businesses in an area where more than 60% of young people are unemployed. Empowering young people and women to increase their income from waste while also improving waste collection and management is a critical part of what we do at WasteAid. #wastemanagement #circulareconomy #JohnLewisPartnership

Everybody at WasteAid was saddened to hear of the tragic incident at the Kiteezi dumpsite in Kampala, Uganda this weekend.  It appears a mountain of waste collapsed onto houses killing residents who lived next to the dumpsite and became trapped by the landslide.  WasteAid visited Kiteezi earlier this year when we launched projects in Uganda to reduce waste and divert more waste from landfills such as this one. We hope that our work will help to prevent tragedies such as this in the future.  Together with our Ugandan partners we are working towards a time when waste causes no harm, but recognise that there is still so much work to be done.

We’ve launched two initiatives in Uganda to tackle textile waste and support thousands of women reliant on the second-hand trade, as the government considers a ban on second-hand textile imports. Our Uganda Circular Textile Project aims to redirect unwanted textiles to local businesses for upcycling, while a comprehensive study at Kampala’s Owino market will guide policies benefiting the 5,000 individuals reliant on second-hand clothing for their livelihood. 🧵 We’re also helping locals repurpose discarded textiles into useful products, marking a crucial step in addressing Uganda’s textile waste crisis. Find out more about our work in Uganda in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/eeS5B6dS

Today marks the date that our demand for resources exceeds what the planet can sustainably provide in a year. 😬 We're only just over halfway through the year. That means for the rest of 2024 we are borrowing the earth's future resources. By adopting circular economy principles, we can push this date back to later in the year. A circular economy is one where goods are reused and recycled, reducing our use of precious raw materials. ♻ Discover how our work is encouraging circular economy principles in countries most impacted by the waste crisis: https://lnkd.in/eVP367E2 #MoveTheDate #EarthOvershootDay #circulareconomy

Project update! ♻ We're piloting a circular economy model focusing on textile waste and second-hand clothes in the Owino market in Uganda. Our mission? Reduce pollution by repurposing textile waste into new products instead of letting it be burned or dumped. So far we have met over 1,000 traders in Owino market, tracked second-hand textiles coming in and out of the market, and met with government stakeholders in the second-hand clothing sector to better understand local policy. Stay tuned for more updates on this project! 🌱

Innovation presents a huge opportunity in the reduction of waste pollution. Our wastepreneur programmes support and promote green micro business innovators and entrepreneurs in countries where communities are most impacted by the global waste crisis. We recognise that the best ideas often come from those facing the waste challenge every single day. Between 2022 and 2023, WasteAid supported 87 entrepreneurs through seed funding, as well as investing £113,833 in waste entrepreneurs. Find out more about the innovative small businesses we support: https://lnkd.in/ez_pRHVF

We’ve completed another Huhtamaki Wastepreneur Challenge! 🌱 This 12-week programme provided waste collectors with business training and life skills to help them scale their environmental impact and increase their earning potential. The programme culminated in a pitch event, taking place last week, to gain seed funding to support their business ideas. Congratulations to the 23 participants from Diepsloot township, South Africa who demonstrated remarkable growth and confidence throughout the programme. With previous cohorts averaging a 750% uplift in revenue following participation in the programme, we can't wait to see how this funding impacts their waste collection and environmental efforts! 🌍 #wastepickers #wastesolutions #entrepreneur