PET Plastic Waste Recycling and Women Empowerment Project
Through its Plastic Recycling and Women Empowerment Project, CEPCOM-Uganda looks at garbage - if collected and recycled - in terms of: school fees for children, daily food, and generally, a source of livelihood, yet at the same time, a pathway to ensuring the health of our lovely "Mother" Earth.
Overview of the project
Center for Peace and Conflict Mitigation (CEPCOM) launched the Plastic Waste Recycling and Women Empowerment Project to improve women’s livelihoods as they clean the environment.
This initiative is in partnership with the Association Zenzero, which has set-up collection and recycling centres in several countries in Africa, where waste disposal is practically non-existent.
The association gives priority to female employment in those centres, as women play a central role in the community and its well-being, and it develops environmental education practices to raise public awareness on the protection and respect for the environment.
Naturally, the initiative is entrenched in its intent on reducing PET plastic pollution in the environment, while increasing the number of jobs in the PET plastics recycling sector, as well as changing the attitude and behavior of communities towards PET plastic waste.
It is aimed at enhancing a symbiotic relationship between communities, and the ecosystem for sustainability by demystifying the general concept of waste.
The project aims at harnessing women’s contribution towards a clean and healthy environment, and improving livelihoods by creating plastic free communities.
implementation
Project still in progress
- Through the project, CEPCOM collects, sorts, and bales on average 60,000 kgs of PET plastic waste per month within the Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality
- The project directly employs 40 women in sorting and baling PET plastic waste
- The project supports approximately a 100 youth and women in field collections of PET plastic waste
- The project conducts 4 community monthly engagements / events on waste disposal, and management for a mind-set change
- Increased community awareness on plastic waste disposal and management
- Improved mindset, along with behavioral change – reconsidering waste as wealth through recycling to generate income
The project is funded through partnerships
organisation
CEPCOM-Uganda’s activities are rooted in its environmental droctrine: “The Universe is the Common Home“. Therefore, we believe that it is everyone’s collective responsibility and obligation to sustainably use it for a peaceful coexistence.
Under the theme, “My Environment, My Identity,” using a community participatory approach, CEPCOM carries out activities directed towards building resilient communities to harness protection, conservation and regeneration of the environment for a peaceful and sustainable coexistence.
in collaboration