Giving Waste a Second Chance: The CIYZOE Eco-Activists
If you’ve ever doubted that human activities are the main cause of environmental damage, the dramatic changes you may have seen or heard of in the news should change your mind. For the past few weeks where almost everyone has had to stay indoors, earth has been able to breathe a bit more . The canals in Venice are clearing up and the air in New Delhi looks cleaner.
22nd April 2020 — International Earth Day as recognized by the United Nations is a call to action for us to address the environmental issues plaguing us today. Over the years- and all over the world- there have been various environmental heroes who’ve worked hard to make sure we don’t destroy our home (earth)- Vandana Sheva, Al Gore, Theodore Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, and my personal favourites- Wangari Maathai and Ken Saro Wiwa are some of the names that should come up if you’re looking for international environmental activists.
Climate and environmental activism are alive and well in Ghana today. It may not have achieved mainstream status just yet, but across the country, young activists are starting the conversation on environmentalism. My interview today is with Sophia Kwashie and Emmanuelle Afaribea Dankwa, co-founders of CIYZOE Eco Group, an environmental advocacy NGO:
- How and when did you begin CIYZOE Eco group?
In September 2015, while we were students at the University of Ghana, we decided to set up CIYZOE Eco Group to help deal with the menace of poor plastic waste disposal in the country. Our decision to start CIYZOE Eco Group was was partly motivated by the June 3rd disaster that claimed many lives and left many injured and homeless in Accra earlier that year. Poor drainage aggravated by plastic waste were the main causes of that disaster. Every life that was lost and every home that was wrecked was the fuel that ignited our passion to respond to the plastic waste crisis in the country. We realised that we had the choice to either take situation into our own hands and prevent more harm or remain aloof — we went for the former!
2. What is the background of your team?
Our team comprises current tertiary students, graduates and basic school students as well. All our volunteers are dedicated to the vision of promoting effective plastic waste management in Ghana and beyond. The leadership of the group is made up of a Board of Trustees who oversee decision making and an executive team that is responsible for supervising various aspects of the group’s activities. The entire team of volunteers has been the bedrock of our success and we are really privileged to have highly committed and selfless volunteers.
3. What sort of projects do you embark on?
Our main projects focus on promoting effective plastic waste management among citizens, especially the youth, through education on segregation of waste at source and recycling of plastic waste. We also facilitate the recovery of plastic waste for the purpose of recycling. The University of Ghana Recycling Project (UGPRP) and the CIYZOE Basic School Project (CBSP) are examples of such projects. In our projects, we do not only educate on plastic waste management but also oversee the implementation of plastic waste cycles through the provision and maintenance of dedicated recycling bins.
UGPRP is a partnership between the University of Ghana, CIYZOE Eco Group and Recycle Up! Ghana. The project aims to instill in the general university community a positive attitude towards plastic waste disposal and waste management in general and to enable them regard plastic waste as a resource. Under UGPRP, recycling programs are being run in all student residential facilities on University of Ghana’s main campus and about 40,000 students have been reached. Every week, about a ton of plastic waste, which otherwise would have ended up in gutters or landfill sites, is collected for recycling.
The CBSP is a holistic recycling program targeted towards basic school students. Under the CBSP, about 900 students and staff across 2 schools in Accra have been educated and now practice plastic waste segregation for recycling on campus. For most of the students, the CBSP was their first experience of being properly educated on sustainable plastic waste management.
4. How do you measure the success of your projects?
Project success is measured by a variety of variables including the level of students’ participation in projects, the tonnage of plastic waste recovered, and the skills gained by individual volunteers while working on projects. CIYZOE is keen on the personal development of volunteers and we believe that volunteers’ participation in projects should serve to build their personal skill set for the job market and future ventures.
5. Could you name a couple of the companies you send the plastic waste to?
We give our plastic to a number of companies including rePATRN Limited and Coliba Ghana.
6. How do you design your material for advocacy?
Our advocacy materials are designed by our volunteers. Our presentations feature infographics, which make it easier for our audience to grasp the concepts we convey. Our plastic waste bins also have these infographics displayed on them. Where necessary, we also make use of video documentaries.
7. How are your projects funded?
Our projects are mainly funded from the sale of the plastics recovered from the recycling programs, and internally through volunteer donations. We must say that acquiring funding has proved a major challenge to us, as is typical with young non-governmental organizations. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation: funders prefer organizations who have a ton of past projects but such a status can only be achieved if you are funded in the first place. In spite of the financial challenges, the team continues to forge ahead.
8. What are some of the challenges you face as a team?
Apart from funding, a main challenge we face is transporting the plastic waste. Since there are only a few active recycling plants in Accra, we mostly have to cover long distances to convey the segregated waste from the source to the recycling centers. Sometimes we face a deficit as transportation costs outweigh the amount generated from the sale of plastic waste.
Looking on the bright side, we believe that the recent surge in environmental sustainability awareness will spark the creation of more plastic recycling centers in the country and thus help alleviate the current transportation problem we face.
9. Can anyone serve as a volunteer for your team?
Yes. They only need to be committed to environmental sustainability and interested in the mission of CIYZOE Eco Group.
10. Where do you see CIYZOE Eco group in the next 5–10 years?
In a decade, CIYZOE Eco Group will be a leading promoter and facilitator of environmental sustainability practices in West Africa. We will be a key organization in leading innovation and dynamism in the recycling sector. In the medium term (5 years), our basic school project, CBSP should have extended to at least 60 additional schools in Ghana, reaching about 22,000 school-going children. When this target is achieved, over 12 tonnes of plastic waste will be recovered annually thus mitigating the national plastic waste crisis. We also intend to explore partnerships with recycling businesses which would be aimed at stimulating expansion for these businesses for the purposes of increasing their capacity to employ more individuals. This will go a long way to reduce unemployment.
11. How would you advise the average Ghanaian household to dispose of their rubbish?
Research shows that by 2050, there will be more plastics than fish in the world’s oceans. This poses a food security problem. In addition, the chemicals in plastic have the potential of disrupting our marine and terrestrial ecosystems as a result of widespread chemical pollution. We can stop this from happening if we reduce the use of plastic in households, reuse plastic containers and bags and segregate plastic waste (especially PET, HDPE and PVC) from other household waste for recycling. We would like to encourage all households, especially those who live in areas with already existing recycling programs, to fully participate in these programs by separating their plastic waste from other types of waste.
12. In what ways do you believe the government should contribute to initiatives improving general recycling culture in Ghana?
Government can implement policies to control the importation, manufacture and use of single-use plastics. Providing tax holidays to entrepreneurs in the recycling sector and exploring public-private partnerships to encourage private Investment in this sector could stimulate the establishment of more plastic recycling plants across the country. Recycling will achieve a more circular and sustainable economy- a step in the right direction.
Any Message for the general public?
We invite all organisations in the environmental sustainability space to reach out to us for collaborations. We are open to work with you towards achieving increased environmental sustainability.
We would like to acknowledge Mr.Ernest Nkansah and Mr. Nelson Edu for their immense contributions without which we would not have come this far. They have been of great help to this institution and we will always celebrate them for their hard work and selfless service.
You find CIYZOE Eco Group on;
Instagram: @ciyzoe_eco_group
Facebook : Ciyzoe Eco Group
Something to chew on:
When was the last time you decided to do something simply because it’s good for environment ? How do you dispose of your rubbish, and what happens to your plastic? You can give CIYZOE Eco group a call perhaps?
On another note, enjoy this reminder from Gasmilla to keep your city clean!
