Empowers successful clean-up in “the hinge of Africa”
A whole new country, a whole new world. The plastic waste movement is expanding, and so are our adventures in the African continent. This time in the urban and diverse nation in western Africa- Cameroon! Have you ever wondered the impact of actions towards raising awareness on effects of marine litter has on the public? Well, read on to know how a clean-up with Discovery Networks Norway contributed to the clean-up with our local partner ICENECDEV in the coastal village of West Cameroon.
Together with local partner ICENECDEV, a full action packed clean-up was organized in the coastal village of Isobe Idenau. The community members received information on the effects of marine litter and how actions can be taken in order to prevent waste from ending up in the environment. Their joint efforts led to a collection of 1004,8 kg of plastic waste! Which means the coastal community made sure that they saved more than a ton of waste from ending up in the ocean and harming our marine life. Thank you so much to executive director Fongoh Eric along with his organizing team ICENECDEV and to everyone who collected for all the actions taken!
Earlier this fall, Discovery Networks Norway joined our plastic waste movement on their impact day and contributed to clean-up with quintuple global effect, sponsoring clean-ups around the world. Thanks to their sponsorship, it led to new clean-up in a whole new region of Empowers journey- West Cameroon. Because of the geographical and cultural diversity of the country, it is often referred to as “Africa in miniature” and as “the hinge of Africa”.
Of the various plastic waste collected, 116,2 kg were soft plastics and 40 kg was fishing net also known as ghost gear (yes, they are the formidable ghosts of the ocean rapidly vanishing number of marine species as we know them! Read more on their effects on our oceans here). Abandoned or lost fishing equipment represents 10% of the plastic waste in our oceans and for coastal communities such as Isobe Idenau the impacts are large as it affects a wide variety of marine organisms and is especially damaging to endangered and protected marine species, such as sea turtles.
Like many African countries, Cameroon exhibits the burdens of waste managements. Several factors such as inadequate financial resources, low levels of enforcement of regulations, lack of knowledge and poor governance often lead to poor waste management services. Our local partner ICENECDEV (also accredited to UNEP) has actively been working towards combating marine plastic litter and micro plastics.
With partners they aim to increase awareness and actions on the environment along the coastal village communities along the west coast of Cameroon (Isobe, Idenau, Etissah, Batoke,Bakingli). We are thrilled to be a part of this campaign with ICENECDEV to illuminate on the waste problem and incentivize plastic waste collection in the region. We humbly thank everyone involved for all their superb efforts in this collaboration.
Through active collaboration and partnership with local stakeholders and different sectors, Empower will be able to yield proper waste management following the life cycle of the waste towards a circular economy. Therefore, we are also thankful to sponsors like Discovery Networks Norway who makes it possible for us to continue this important work for incentivizing collection of plastic waste and developing waste management structures. Through Empowers digital infrastructure that connects all the plastic value chain stakeholders with transparency and traceability they are able to follow when and where the clean-up they have funded is conducted and receive further information on the handling of the waste when it is available. This is something that we believe can contribute to changing the status quo. Thus, also contributing to a circular economy in a global perspective.
Feeling doubly inspired to take action and make a difference towards a more circular economy? Well, join us then and take contact at hi@empower.eco or trine@empower.eco and find out how you or your business can boast of making a global impact in the plastic waste movement.
