Zanzibar Scraps and Environment Association (ZASEA)
Recycling plastic waste as an alternative to incineration and landfill
The initiative employs local people to collect, sort and recycle plastic waste. Plastic waste accounts for a significant portion of total municipal waste. By tackling this problem, the initiative provides job opportunities, improves the local environment and increases environmental awareness in the community. The initiative contributes to sustainable plastic waste management by collecting and sorting plastic waste and processing it in the local recycling plant. Community members receive training and education on how to handle and process the plastic waste. The reclaimed plastic is then sold to the manufacturers of plastic products. The solid waste management and recycling process is still poorly known in Tanzania. Thus another aim of ZASEA is to promote knowledge and stimulate community engagement using information disseminated via the mass media and educational sessions in schools.
Eco-Inclusive Impacts
The initiative employs local people to collect, sort and recycle plastic waste, provides job opportunities, improves the local environment and increases environmental awareness in the community.
- Helping to clean up the city and preventing the negative health impact of burning plastic waste.
- Generating long-term sources of income for the community.
- Improving environmental awareness in general.
- Training employees and educating school children and the public through its projects and media campaigns.
- Providing employment opportunities for the local community, creating 300+ full-time jobs as plastic collectors or directly in the manufacturing facility.
Partners
Cooperating with government authorities, this non-government organisation is driving plastic waste management and recycling by training community members to collect plastic waste which can be sold to the initiative’s recycling facility which in turn produces plastic pellets for industrial use.
The Zanzibar Scraps and Environment Association employs local people to collect, sort and recycle plastic waste.
The Department of Environment, Zanzibar supports the initiative and provides technical support; it also carries out external monitoring and organizes the evaluation of the project.
Zanzibar Municipal Council facilitates the solid waste collection and provides technical support.
Chumbe Island Coral Park enables training programs in local schools.