Help us tackle the plastic crisis in The Gambia

Plastic crisis in The Gambia

The Gambia is abundant with biodiversity and coastal, urban and rural communities. Yet slowly they are being drowned by plastic. Discarded plastics are affecting fishermen along the coast, which reduces their catch rate. Rivers and mangroves are seeing plastic waste accumulate in the roots of trees, causing negative effects on the oyster farmers. Farmers and shepherds are being affected, as cattle and livestock are consuming plastic. In urban areas, the local markets are littered with plastic waste, which ends up blocking the gutters and causing flooding during the rainy season. All of these communities have witnessed an extensive rise in plastic waste and thus presents problems to their livelihoods. 

How we can help

We have to take action NOW to curb the plastic pollution crisis in The Gambia.. and that's why Precious Plastic Gambia began! Precious Plastic Gambia provides the solution to tackling the plastic crisis in the country and will not only turn waste into another persons treasure, will also change the behaviors of local Gambian communities. Through sensitization and communication, we will focus on educating people to use dustbins and the importance of recycling, to create monetized incentives to drive peoples motivation. 

Precious Plastic Gambia is a joint project, created by Plastics Recycling Gambia, Gunjur Plastics and Growing Green Communities. The aim of the project is to create a thriving, plastic recycling market that creates a substantial contribution to the economy. Currently, there are 21 collection points in the Greater Banjul area for our use, with the aim to expand across the country. Once collected, the plastic will be shredded, and extruded into moulds and injected into functional objects. 

The project will be an educational hub for plastic recycling, where schools, businesses, tourists and individuals can learn all about the processes. We will be recycling plastic and producing high-quality and unique paving tiles, roofing tiles, benches, chairs, bricks, tables, pillars, flowerbeds and other household items. These will all be made to target both national and international markets. We aim to be completely self-financed within 1-2 years through the sales of the products made with the plastic, both in Gambia, and abroad, initiating a circular plastic recycling industry within The Gambia.

Intended results: 

- Improve environmental education in The Gambia

- Provide employment to hundreds of Gambians, including disabled and youth

- Create a plastic recycling industry in The Gambia and ultimately become net zero 

- Recycle 80,000 - 100,000kg of plastic per year

- Become the plastic recycling hub of West Africa

Partners

The National Environment Agency (NEA) have recently signed a memorandum of understanding with us to support the first 2 years of the project and offer €14,927 of funding through UNDP to purchase the machines. We are so grateful for this partnership, and all machines (shredder, injector and extruder) have now been manufactured and delivered to The Gambia. Thanks to the talented manufacturers from Sustainable Design Studio (https://www.sustainabledesign.studio/) and PBS Machinery (https://pbsmachinery.com/).

Thanks to the generous donations so far we have been able to finish:

What's next?

The next phase of our project is to complete the installation of the windows and doors on site. Once we have completed this and leveled the floor, the handover will commence from the NEA so we can install the machines.

Listed below are our next steps in the Precious Plastic Gambia Project:

Help us move onto the next phase of the project and be one step closer to tackling plastic pollution in The Gambia. Your donation will be a huge support to the project!

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us!