for some, recycling is all about being environmentally conscious. for others, it is a means of survival. recycling is becoming a way of life and the benefits reach beyond the individual doing it. although it is often promoted as a way to save the environment and rescue the planet, recycling can also give hope and a helping hand to so many impoverished communities.

given that can-collectors often experience 24-hour workdays, sifting through trash on the street, and no guaranteed income; can-collecting is often considered the lowest form of work. but for many canners, recycling is an opportunity to take what they can get when more conventional opportunities are inaccessible or not available.

recycling helps individuals feel pride in their work which is honest, difficult, and gives them some financial power to pay for food, housing, and transportation. because there is a stigma around can-collecting, it is important to note that how collectors choose to spend their earnings is their business, as is the case with any line of work.

can-collectors/recyclers/canners are improving recycling initiatives and materials management in new york state. by sorting and taking cans and bottles directly to recycling facilities, they are preventing recyclable goods that have been mismanaged and littered from entering landfills and burn facilities. if you recycle one plastic bottle, that is one less piece of non-biodegradable plastic that will end up in a landfill or as litter in the ocean.

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ghana, an african coastal nation of over 30 million people, is a perfect destination for westerners –– especially those tracing their roots. yet, the cost of living in ghana is higher than most arrivals may expect. one of the main drivers for the high real estate prices is the expensive cost of building materials.

what if there was a solution that doesn’t only provide affordable housing, but helps to protect the fragile environment which is already vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change?

nelson boateng, founder and chief executive officer of nelplast eco ghana limited is a young ghanain entrepreneur, a leading voice that is repurposing and diverting tons of plastic waste from landfills and oceans into affordable building materials for the construction of low-cost houses in ghana.

“when the collected plastics are brought to us, we scale and pay the collectors according to the weight. the plastics are crushed, washed semi-dried and mixed with sand and sometimes, pigments to add beauty. the mixture is then fed into an extruder with 3 heating zones, which we build ourselves. since we are using all kinds of plastic waste at their right proportion, these plastics have different melting points. as they travel through the extruder, let’s say starting from 150 degrees celsius, 180 to 220 degrees celsius, the heating zones ensure that all kinds of plastic waste is well melted and mixed with sand. this mixer comes out as a paste, which is placed in a mold with a cooling system around it and then pressed under hydraulic press. between 60 to 70 seconds, we eject one product out depending on the size and shape of the product. this product would then be packed on the palette and ready to be installed. nelplast echo plastic houses are 30% to 35% cheaper than the concrete buildings that we have, and most of our clients are happy with our projects.”

for the longest time, plastic has been the material of choice for different kinds of packaging due to its lightweight, affordability and ease of use. however, the long run consequences of easy packaging on the environment are far reaching. according to a recent undp report, ghana generates over a million tons of plastic waste every year and only 2% to 5% of the plastic waste is being recycled, and project drawdown reveals that recycling could help reduce our carbon footprints by 2 gigatons come 2030. yet, more and more concerns on the negative effects of plastic use on health, raises questions on whether there are any negative impacts of living in a house constructed from plastic waste! and how solid and resilient are these structures to natural disasters? 

“nelplast bricks are not laid with cement. they are interlocked with each other and due to that nature, they are able to contract and expand when there’s uncertainty on the earth. it can also withstand earthquakes because the walls are not rigid. they have the ability to be flexible when there is any earthquake. also in terms of cracks, the wall with plastics doesn’t crack so easily. the bricks are cheaper and stronger than conventional bricks. they can withstand water lock areas and also avoid dampness to the walls. they are safe in terms of fire, because the high percentage of the sand makes the product fire retardant. it’s not easy for these bricks to just get burnt. the bricks are designed in such a way that there is a groove in the middle of the brick that heat from outside to penetrate into the inner part of the room and also maintain the temperature of the inner part of the bricks.”

reduce, reuse, and recycle! this is the recommended way of life that boateng is actively working to promote in his home country – ghana. nelplast eco ghana limited, born out of frustration with the disturbing amounts of plastic waste continuously buried in landfills is an initiative committed to rid the country of the gulf of plastic waste that is polluting the environment and water bodies, while securing economic opportunities for the unemployed youth in ghana.

“we have the problem of plastic waste, the problem of school infrastructure, housing deficit and  unemployment. nelplast is trying to use the problem of plastic waste to build affordable houses and solve the problem of housing in ghana. build schools, create jobs for unemployed youth to reduce social violence and clean the environment. currently, nelplast employees 63 workers directly and over 300 indirect workers and 98% of this indirect workers are women who go around the landfills, drainage and beaches to collect plastic waste and sell to us – and that’s how they earn their living.”

boateng’s drive to save the environment from plastic pollution does not go by unsupported or unnoticed. 

“we won ghana uk based achievement award as innovation and technology of the year; emy africa – the green corporate star award; african product and service award; ghana property award as best echo construction product; ghana industry award; seed low carbon award and the business executive excellence award.” 

however, his ability to scale the business is confronted by many challenges.

“ghana has a lot of challenges and one of them is the cost of electricity. there are no subsidies for recyclers in ghana and that is really discouraging others to join the line. i have passion with plastics because at the age of 13 i was already working with the plastic industry. i did computer network engineering but my passion is how to deal with plastic waste. also, because of our capacity issues we get a little bit scared of accepting more contracts. a lot of people are calling who want a house, but the problem has to do with our capacity. so because of that, this year we are handling only 15 clients, next year we can add on. if we can have subsidies from the government on electricity bills, soft loans to help us expand, i think it will go a very long way.”

a recent world bank report projects that waste will grow from 2 billion tonnes in 2020 to nearly 3 billion tonnes by 2050, and the effects may be more adverse for developing countries, where more than 90% of trash is either dumped in the open or burned, worsening the climate crisis. as many look forward to the un international climate conference – cop27 – just around the corner, boateng is curious to know where plastic pollution fits in the conversations.

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[editor’s note: this transcript was edited for clarity.]

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correction (9/7/2022): an earlier version of this story misidentified where in africa ghana is located. this version corrects it.

gw purchased 26,000 reusable water bottles from didómi, a water bottle company with the mission to combat the water crisis in developing countries and provide high-quality reusable water bottles to encourage individuals to reduce their plastic consumption. 

not only will gw’s purchase of these reusable water bottles reduce plastic use on campus –– this financial investment will reach beyond campus. didómi partners with the nonprofit organization water is life to provide reliable access to water across africa. according to didómi, each bottle purchased provides 10 years of water access to a person in africa. using the funds from the partnership with gw, didómi will donate 50% of its profits to fund the nonprofit’s water projects. 

on the morning of march 21, two of didómi’s founders, lamah bility and brian bishop, came to gw’s campus to distribute water bottles. while telling the mission of their company, bility shared the personal story of fellow co-founder anaa jibicho. jibicho, a refugee from ethiopia, lost two siblings to water-borne diseases. when jibicho lived in liberia before his family won a lottery to move to the united states, he had to wake up each morning to walk miles to fetch water for his family, billy said. jibicho had a realization about the accessibility of water once in the u.s., where clean water conveniently flows from the tap in many places.

while listening to didómi’s story, students colored and personalized their water bottles. junior sarah teague painted clouds on her new bottle, placing her personalized design around the gw’s plastic campaign logo and didómi’s logo, the partnership aesthetically represented on the bottle.

teague says her interest in sustainably centers on gw divesting from fossil fuels. in 2020, after seven years of student organizing on the issue, gw committed to divest from all public and private companies with a focus on fossil fuel extraction by 2025, in alignment with recommendations from the university’s environmental, social, and governance (esg) responsibility task force. yet, there is a need for education around gw’s positive changes and events to announce gw’s sustainability-related efforts. 

volunteer audrey litto, a junior at gw involved with take back the tap, a student initiative to transition away from using single-use plastic water bottles to reusable, refillable bottles, shared that she hopes people will take advantage of the new water bottle stations popping up on campus and the new high-quality didómi water bottles. 

senior jack mcmorrow, a volunteer through a service-learning class at gw, has participated in passing out didómi bottles outside of the covid test trailers for the past week. 

“it felt great to be part of such an important initiative to reduce single-use plastic on campus,” mcmorrow said. “i was truly excited to see the enthusiasm of the members of our community who were willing to utilize these water bottles. so many people were excited to approach us and were eager to learn about ways to reduce plastic use.” 

didómi was named after the greek word meaning “to give.” the logo symbolizes crossed fingers representing hope, or optimism for better days together. through efforts like this, there is hope for gw as a collective to make a difference to reduce waste and help save the environment. 

it is most admirable when artists find a way to incorporate recycling into their art. not only does this prove the inherent beauty of what some consider “trash,” but it can further inspire other artists to create similar work.

within the last decade, buyers have become more aware of the consequences of the fashion industry. growing consciousness about the effect of clothes dye, worker exploitation and material waste have made consumers and designers rethink their fashion choices. daniel also became more conscious of this and wanted to contribute and be part of the solution.

“i wanted to put forth, through fashion, a warning message of the environmental issues we live with” he said.

through the creation of garments, daniel conflates different trends that are resurfacing, such as “slow fashion” and “no waste.” slow fashion entails understanding the process in which the clothes are being made. as daniel is the designer, seamster and creator of his work, he is responsible for all aspects and knows exactly where it all comes from. the no waste movement strives to repurpose materials that would otherwise be destined to become landfill. daniel’s work combines both.

daniel has used a number of materials, ranging from cassette tapes to computer keyboards and glass lenses.

“each material presents its own difficulties, even preparing the material and thinking about the item’s construction is a challenge,” he said.

the process behind recycling these materials is complex. it involves collecting, cleaning and a creative aspect in which the artist must envision the presentation of the material.

“using cd discs was maybe the most challenging material, because of its rigidity,” he said. “i had to cut them up and make small holes in them in which i tied some metal string and brought the little pieces together. also the keyboards, preparing the keyboards and calculating the amount of keys i needed to add, and then remove so that the dress would not be shapeless.”

the technicalities involved in this type of work are not perceived at first glance. once the artist has an idea, creating a concept and making it a tangible item can be an elaborate procedure.

in terms of inspiration, the ubiquity of litter and residue is something that often reaches artists and observers.

“i was walking at night and the shine of a vhs film tape on the floor caught my attention,” he said. “this inspired me, and i thought that maybe i could make something luxurious out of that shine.”

after all, the idea of luxury in fashion derives from a combination of materials, creation, and inspiration.

daniel’s outlook of creating something sumptuous from nothing is an approach that many self-made artists have. it takes true artistic talent to create beauty from what others deem as waste. daniel’s creations demonstrate how creativity can shape the way we view materials, enhancing their circularity and usability. through fashion, daniel detects the intrinsic beauty of “junk” and molds it into a garment that appeals to all audiences.

in a historical context, the charter of indian forestry (1855) offered a model for imperial environmentalism under the british empire in africa in which colonial governments were bestowed the power to seize land that was not otherwise privately owned. (kashwan, 2021, p. 5-6) this toxic relationship between the global north and global south persists today through our globalized economy. for example, ghana is the largest gold producer on a continent that supplies 40% of the world’s gold. (al jazeera, 2022) at the same time, global justice now has reported that african countries in 2015 received $162 billion in foreign aid while $203 billion was extracted from the continent, either directly from multinational corporations or by costs necessary for climate change adaptation (mcveigh, 2017).

extractive economies that reinforce these oppressive systems of command and control have been imprinted into the head spaces of the ruling financial and political elite as the end-all, be-all solution to improving quality of life for humanity. due to these cultural setbacks, youth leaders and advocates around the world are frustrated about the lack of action their governments are taking on climate change. one such group in ghana has been incredibly active in terms of transitioning local and regional economies and communities to more sustainable mechanisms and relationships between people and the planet. 

founded in 2014, green africa youth organization (gayo) pursues a holistic path to mobilize and engage youth voices in ghana in order to challenge climate change and introduce a circular economy to the region. i had a conversation with betty osei bonsu, who is a project coordinator based in accra, about the work she does with gayo. their vision is to achieve environmental and economic sustainability through youth empowerment, skills development, and public education. gayo champions several initiatives that follow these thematic areas including climate change disaster risk reduction and circular economy. in tandem with the 2030 sustainable development goals, these initiatives encourage a multi-pronged approach to climate action and normalization of sustainability in local and regional economies. gayo refers to itself as a gender-balanced organization, in alignment with goal 10: reduce inequality within and among countries. gayo not only pushes for women leadership in environmental spaces, but also seeks to enhance inclusion within waste recovery and management.

the sustainable community project (scp) is meant to establish a zero-waste model for waste management led by community members within ghana. established in accra, cape coast, abuakwa, and pioneered from the ashanti region, edubiase in 2016, this project focuses on several waste-to-value initiatives including: composting, recycling arts, and charcoal briquette. composting is important to a sustainable community because it provides organic fertilizers within towns that can be sold to people within the community for better organic crop yield. meanwhile, recycling arts offer training to create items that can be sold and be reused for the creator or their family. additionally, charcoal briquettes are a biofuel meant to be a sustainable transitional energy source that is substituted for firewood. this work started as a pilot program in cape coast, but expanded into a full initiative in the adansi south district of ghana. these three areas of value addition are meant to establish circular communities by working with media outlets, activists, and local organizations/assemblies to implement this project throughout ghana and beyond. the main objectives for the sustainable community project are to divert waste from landfills, support the works of waste pickers while building community capacity, and promote revenue generation through upcyling what would otherwise be thrown out. ms. bonsu mentioned that the initiative offers other opportunities such as the creation of green jobs and green jobs training for alternative livelihood while maximizing resource recovery so that small-scale waste can be re-purposed and sold as sustainably-sourced products. waste pickers play a major role in the scp as they recover most of the waste. thus, gayo supports them by advocating for their rights, integrating them to work in coordination with the assembly, and providing them with necessary resources.

furthermore, the circular economy project is also focused on training youth, and fostering development so they can act as ambassadors for various gayo initiatives. following this, they have organized over 300 youth individuals within universities through the gayo ecoclub chapters. this is a student-led movement envisioned to raise future climate leaders and young ecopreneurs, create awareness on environmental protection, and increase the employability of youth through professional working experiences. gayo is also building the capacity of these students by pushing for the creation of environmental courses and initiatives through partnership with other institutions and community engagement activities. as a result, students and emerging professionals are able to learn more about climate change and the circular economy while making an impact in their communities.

meanwhile, the youth climate council provides a platform for youth-led individuals and organizations to gather actionable suggestions and to come together as a centralized power to pitch concerns they have to the government. the youth climate council was established by green africa youth organization and its independent partner, youth climate lab (ycl), and with institutional backing from the international development research centre (idrc). i found this project particularly compelling after learning from ms. bonsu that, in her own words, “[people] in the global south…are faced with a situation where youth do not have voices in decision making, are not being represented in government [and] are not included in the formation of climate policies.” a significant part of gayo’s mission is to empower and engage youth throughout the country and the world around comprehensive climate action, environmental education, and community-centric programs.

the youth climate council is a unified climate youth movement which amplifies youth voices and creates opportunities for young climate activists in ghana. the council is embedded within the ministry of environment, science, technology, and innovation, working hand-in-hand with the environmental protection agency ensuring a direct connection between youth and government, and vice versa. the youth climate council’s priority is to provide services to strengthen activism and the impact of its members.

betty went on to say that, “because of this platform, we were able to attend cop26 in order to highlight gayo and other youth experiences in ghana ” around climate action and environmental awareness. following this year’s cop 26, the ghana government pavilion was utilized by gayo and its partners to host capacity-building webinars and events for youth, while sharing initiatives and climate interventions carried out by youth climate activists, organizations, and institutions in the nation. government institutions providing platforms, and the autonomy to decide what actions should be taken, center the perspectives of youth leaders rather than perpetuate archaic systems that are damaging to people and the planet. 

climate action demands intersectional, multi-generational collective action. even though the majority of ghg emissions and environmental degradation has been caused by the generations before us, it is up to youth voices, organizations, and movements to strive for a more sustainable and ethical future. gayo is one such organization achieving this feat in real time, with betty osei bonsu representing ghana and gayo at cop26 calling the world to action. global north countries and institutions, and its respective government entities, need to pass the microphone to leaders such as betty that are already transforming our relationship to the environment while also finding economic opportunities in alignment with environmental justice and sustainability. 

sources

al jazeera staff. 2022. mapping africa’s natural resources. al jazeera. 

bonsu, betty osei. (2021, november) personal communication [personal interview]. 

kashwan, prakash, et. al. 2021. from racialized neocolonial global conservation to an inclusive and regenerative conservation. environment. 63:4, 5-6.

mcveigh, karen. 2017. world is plundering africa’s wealth of ‘billions of dollars a year’. the guardian. 

dive deeper

gayo joins inaugural plastic action champions – green africa youth organization

ghana hosts first local conference of youth in climate change | wundef.com

are you an entrepreneur? apply to join the founder institute ghana and gayo fellowship. – green africa youth organization

university spokesperson crystal nosal said the task force, which convened in september, received administrative support and is now working on a plan to implement the proposals. nosal said executive vice president and chief financial officer mark diaz organized the group, which consists of officials from six departments, including offices within the division of safety and facilities and the office of procurement.

the student association senate passed a resolution in late october calling on officials to discontinue using single-use plastic bottles on campus. nosal said the task force’s goals align with the sa’s resolution.

scott burnotes, the vice president of safety and facilities, said officials have approved the plan, and the division of safety and facilities will now work on finding ways to implement the recommendations. he said officials will start to implement the plan in the “next several months” and are excited about the “shared commitment” to a zero-waste environment.

“gw’s commitment to phasing out single-use plastics will be a marathon, not a sprint, especially given the hurdles higher ed is already dealing with this year,” he said in an email.

kat ruane – the co-president of take back the tap, a student organization that works to reduce gw’s use of single-use plastics – said the task force meets at least once every two weeks. she said the task force’s members hope to organize educational initiatives with student organizations to discuss the harmful environmental effects of single-use plastics.

“we’re thinking from the human rights perspective that all students deserve a right to accessible clean water, not one that’s put behind a paywall of a plastic water bottle,” ruane said.

ruane said the draft plan includes proposals to eliminate all plastic bottles from vending machines, install reusable water fillers in residence halls and develop strategies to discourage community members from using non-reusable plastics.

she said officials have not yet offered the task force clear details on the next steps for the plan submitted to diaz, the chief financial officer, at the end of october.

“it is a bit frustrating because there is to some degree lack of transparency and lack of communication about what they’re actually going to do next from here because they’ve submitted their draft plan to mark diaz,” she said.

experts in sustainability said implementing programs that discourage people from using plastics has been the most effective method in reducing non-reusable plastics.

lyda harris, a university of washington ph.d. candidate studying microplastic contamination, said she has seen “limited success” in educational initiatives encouraging people to reduce their plastic use because people typically weigh convenience over sustainability when making purchases. she said implementing measures that make reducing plastic use easier, like installing water bottle filler stations, are more effective methods.

“if you give someone all the knowledge that they need, i personally think that it comes down to which one’s easier and which one do i have time for,” she said.

harris said the best way to reduce plastic consumption is to implement a system, like a small charge on plastic bags, that makes plastic products inconvenient to obtain. d.c. officials implemented a mandatory plastic bag tax in 2010.

“in europe, there is a really cool study that has been done about plastic bag taxes and bans,” she said. “and it basically said once you assign a 5-cent tax on a plastic bag, people stop using them up to like 96 percent. and so it just makes it harder to pollute the environment.”

evan ward, a professor of marine sciences at the university of connecticut, said non-reusable plastics can be incinerated, which increases the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, or buried, which can leak chemicals into groundwater over time.

“burying plastics is not that problematic, but over time, large amounts of plastic can leach a variety of chemicals, which can enter groundwater and contaminate drinking water, lakes, streams and near-shore environments,” he said in an email. “recycling is an option, but unfortunately only about 9 percent of all plastics are recycled.”

he said universities could take steps, like removing plastic water bottles carrying the institution’s logo, to draw people away from using single-use plastics.

“same goes for single-use plastic bags in the bookstore and elsewhere,” he said. “charge a small fee for selecting plastic bags over reusable bags – you will see how quickly everyone will remember to bring a reusable bag with them.”

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this piece was originally published by the gw hatchet. the photograph is attributed to alexander welling, senior staff photographer at the hatchet.

however, restaurants are putting climate change on the menu. industry leaders are transitioning their restaurant operations to be more sustainable and climate friendly. here are 5 ways they’re doing it.

renewable energy 

restaurants are converting their spaces into sustainable buildings. azurmendi, a three-michelin-star restaurant in spain and two-time sustainable restaurant award winner, uses solar panels for electricity and uses geothermal energy for indoor climate control. root down, a sustainably focused restaurant in denver, is run entirely on wind power. nomad an ultra-local restaurant in australia operates off of solar energy and is a solar panel host site for the community. 

the shift to renewable energy is not exclusive to high-end restaurants. mcdonald’s opened a new net zero energy restaurant, the first in their fleet of 36,525 locations, in july 2020 in orlando, florida. the new location is a first step in mcdonald’s sustainability goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 36% by 2030. 

sustainable sourcing 

the farm-to-table phenomenon that became popular in restaurants over the past few years has been crucial to kick-starting a wave of restaurant sustainability. local, farm-to-table produce emits less carbon, as there is less transportation necessary to deliver it. amber in hong kong, the sustainable restaurant award 2020 winner, specializes in ultra-local, hyper-seasonal selections on their menu. their menu is up to 50% plant-based and they’ve removed all dairy from their dishes.

blue hill, a new york based restaurant, was one of the first to prioritize ultra-local sourcing and foster relationships with the farmers they work with. by seasonally changing menus and sourcing produce and meat products from local, sustainably operated farms, restaurants can greatly reduce their carbon footprints.

recycling

we can all do our part by recycling. we all know the saying: “reduce, reuse, recycle.” restaurants are using recycled paper products, recycled water, and recycled furniture. relae in denmark, winner of the sustainable restaurant award 2019, recycles wherever possible. from reusing empty wine bottles to serve their in-house filtered water, to using recycled furniture and wearing sustainable-fabric aprons, relae works tirelessly to employ sustainability in all aspects of their operations.

founding farmers in washington, d.c., uses recycled materials in a similar way. from recycled paper-composite counter tops, to recycled paper menus and recycled wood furnishings, the restaurant group prioritizes sustainability in all nine of their locations.

circular economy and community involvement 

many restaurants engage in circular economies and community involvement, which helps their communities and involves locals in sustainability efforts. septime in paris sources all of their produce from french farmers, and works with those farmers to save seed varieties and plant species. mil, a restaurant nestled in the andes mountains of peru, fosters close relationships with local communities and the farmers they source from, ensuring that farmers receive 50% of harvest profits. woodberry kitchen, a baltimore restaurant, repurposes oyster shells and returns them to chesapeake bay to regenerate oyster beds. 

zero food print

zero food print is an organization that enables farmers to practice carbon farming. carbon farming is a method that restores soil biology, which then pulls carbon out of the atmosphere, reviving the soil and replenishing nutrients. zero food print restaurants contribute a few cents per meal to helping farmers implement carbon farming through grants from the organization’s restore programs. according to professor rattan lal at ohio state university, “a mere 2% increase in the carbon content of the planet’s soils could offset 100% of all greenhouse gas emissions going into the atmosphere.” 

as restaurants prioritize sustainability, they are supporting local farmers, reducing their impact on the environment, and making an impact on their guests. by continuing to put climate change on the menu, restaurants will be a key player in the fight against climate change. 

asia pulp & paper, or app, a pulp and paper manufacturing company based in indonesia, has created a set of water-based packaging products that are both compostable and recyclable to better serve a wider variety of people and resources.

the company has partnered with villa chicken, a fast food chain based in peru, and has succeeded in maintaining the quality of the food in delivery while still holding onto its sustainable assets. if this product continues to succeed, it may change how restaurants package food moving forward.

it is essential restaurant stakeholders continue to invest in sustainable alternatives to reverse the environmental damage exacerbated by the plastic industry.

“i was young,” perise remembered. “the noises, the movements, the fastness of the waves — all scared me.”

at the time, perise never would have imagined that he’d dedicate his life to protecting the ocean. a decade later, perise is now inspiring a movement in his hometown of buea, cameroon, to combat plastic pollution and protect the ocean.

growing up, perise noticed that his hometown had a lot of problems with plastic waste.

“i saw plastic pollution everywhere,” perise said.

plastic pollution is an issue prevalent all throughout cameroon, since cameroon as a whole has a poor waste management system, perise says. because his area lacks strong waste management, perise observes massive piles of plastic in his neighbors’ yards, on the side of the road, and even clogging waterways. 

wanting to make a change, perise’s first move was one that seemed daunting for a single person, but perhaps also the most practical: picking up the plastic waste in his community. perise hopped door to door in his community, collecting thousands of plastic bottles from the streets.

perise sends most of this plastic to his local plastic collection agency. in more recent years, though, he’s found more creative ways to repurpose the thousands of bottles he collects. through the parallel projects, last year perise brought 3,000 plastic bottles to douala, cameroon, to help construct an ecoboat with the nonprofit madiba and nature. mabida specializes in repurposing plastic bottles to create usable boats, donating them to local fishermen.

perise’s plastic collection efforts have not gone unnoticed in his community, and locals even call him the “plastic man.” perise’s goal is not just to collect plastic in his community, but also to educate his community on plastic pollution and build a mass movement to improve cameroon’s waste practices. for the past few years, perise has visited local schools to deliver presentations on plastic pollution and ocean conservation.

perise finds that education is a key link to making change in his community. 

“raise awareness in the communities, then they will want to put pressure on the governments,” perise said.

through education, perise has developed a mass movement of locals who want to see better waste management practices in their community. they understand that recycling and consuming less plastic are only small portions of the solution, as there needs to be structural changes made by governments as well.

“the plastic pollution crisis in cameroon is far from just a lot of people consuming plastic,” perise emphasized.

unexpectedly, perise’s audience has reached far beyond his local town of buea. several of perise’s photos of plastic pollution in cameroon have blown up on social media. perise believes that only minimal attention has been given to cameroon’s plastic pollution because photos of the crisis have not reached the internet. perise is vocal on social media about the environmental issues that his country faces, in hopes to draw more attention to cameroon and to inspire other young people to start similar movements in their communities.

perise is an active member of the environmental nonprofits greening forward and thinkocean, two organizations that seek to foster a movement of youth from around the world who are passionate about the environment. (in full disclosure, perise is also a friend and colleague of the author in the organization thinkocean.) perise’s story has become so inspiring that for the un world oceans day event this year, perise presented as a keynote speaker alongside some of the world’s most famous environmentalists like bill mckibben and jean-michel cousteau.

despite the global recognition and opportunities he recently has received, perise knows he wants to stick to environmental advocacy in cameroon in the long run. his goal in the future is to work more directly with the cameroonian government to ensure the structural changes in environmental and waste management that his country needs, such as creating more plastic recycling facilities and banning plastic packaging.

until then, perise plans to further expand his local grassroots movement against plastic pollution, in addition to inspiring young leaders around the world to the same.

perise’s rule-of-thumb is this: “if you’re passionate about something, connect with like-minded people around you.”