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This report presents an analysis of the implementation and results of the SWITCH Africa Green programme in the integrated waste management (IWM) sector focusing on the participating countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. It covers the strategic interventions in the waste sector notably municipal solid waste management, e-waste management, waste to energy (e.g. biogas production and briquette production), as well as industrial symbiosis (IS). 

Wend Waoga is a women group from the district of Koudougou in Burkina Faso. Established in 1997, the association is one of the beneficiaries of the SWITCH Africa Green programme through Groupe de Recherche et d’Analyse Appliquées pour le Développement (GRAAD) under the project NEERE which in the local language means clean or pretty.

https://youtu.be/hEO97M--hwM

Faso Attie`ke` is a women’s association of more than 400 members from Ouagadougou specializing in producing cassava flour (Attie`ke`). The association is increasing women’s income by diversifying products and using improved technology. It obtains cassava paste as a raw material within Burkina Faso, from members’ farms and other farms as well. It also sources cassava from neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire.

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Kisumu is home to several filleting factories which produce close to 150,000 tonnes of fish waste every year. This waste is in the form of the skin, the bones, the intestines and the head. For the longest time, this waste had been causing a huge environmental issue in Kisumu.

Koforidua is a town situated in southeastern part of Ghana. It lies in the Densu River basin, near the southeastern base of the Kwahu Plateau. Here we find Issah Moro busy in his old scrap metal yard. Issah is the Chairperson of Koforidua Scrap Dealers Association.

“This is our old site,” Issah says, pointing to a yard with scrap metal vying for every available space.

A weighing machine with its hook pointing menacingly downwards has taken a vintage position. Here, every single piece is capable of inflicting harm albeit in a different manner.

https://youtu.be/evRWB0JOVTo

Tucked in the city of Ghana is Blancomet Recycling Limited. Located in North Industrial Area, opposite Kasadjan Construction Limited. Blancomet recycles nonferrous scrap metals and used lead acid batteries. This is done by sorting, refining and then exporting these products to make money.

https://youtu.be/cmrKjx9cugk

Atlantic Recycling International Systems is a privately owned Limited Liability Company duly registered under the Company Act of Ghana. Atlantic Recycling’s area of business is to train, collect, recycle, and market E-waste from businesses, household and landfills at their recycling facility located in Atlantic Phone Building, Clerk street, Osu in Accra, Ghana. The company recycles information communication technology (ICT) products and small electronic devices such as phones, tablets etc.

https://youtu.be/qRBMxnkRB-s

Safi Sana Ghana Ltd is waste resource social enterprise based in Accra, Ghana that uses a circular waste treatment model to support local communities and protect the environment. The company has been in commission for the past 6 years and is leading a revolution to tackle Ghana’s sanitation challenges while also, generating energy to supply to the national grid.

Building contractor-turned bio digester, entrepreneur Ambrose Kofi Tsekpo is a man on an upward trajectory in environment conservation terms.

https://youtu.be/ixDM34uzzRA

George Annan was sitting outside his house in the port city of Tema in Ghana one rainy day. Outside, the streets were flooded, and the rains were not letting. In his thoughts and looking at the insane amount of coconut waste strewn all over the place, especially on the roadside, an idea was born.

https://youtu.be/uCsQ04Lzm_8

When you first meet Matilda Payne, she comes across as an unassuming and focused go getter. Unbeknownst to many, she is also a heavy hitter in the world of sustainable development.

“I hate waste. That is basically what it is,” says Matilda, an irony given that she depends on it to make a living. “Every time I see waste, I try to figure out what to do with it to turn it around so that it does not become a hazard to the environment.”

https://youtu.be/DF1gioxqfAU

Anatrans is a cashew processing factory that is situated in Bobo-Dioulasso, city in the South East of Burkina Faso, and the second largest city in the country, after Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. Anatrans was established in 2009 and has  an employee capacity of 1171.

After discovering how to turn cashew shells into renewable energy the enterprise has never looked back.

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Many young people in some parts of the African continent turn to waste management as an ad hoc or extra job to make small money when they are struggling with unemployment, a South Africa entrepreneur has identified a silver lining in a rather stormy sky.

Intricately designed accessories on display in an exhibition stand in Nairobi portray craftsmanship infused with an African touch.

Decorated with images of the big five, the Kenyan flag and beautiful landscapes, the handcrafted leather products are a true celebration of Kenyan beauty. Jacob Mwangi, proprietor, Palm Prints African Artifacts, has gone beyond just churning out aesthetically appealing leather products, but also taken a step towards environmental sustainability.

Cassava is one of the major foods consumed in Ghana. It is a major contributor to food security and livelihood in rural areas. Cassava is normally processed to flour using thermal energy before it is consumed or traded. In addition, the consumption of this product in schools, urban and rural areas across the country coupled with recent high demand of the product in other West African countries, makes the product a viable business venture. The community in Adaklu produces and cooks cassava (gari) for their own consumption and for sale.

Upland Rice Millers processes rice on behalf of farmers in the region who execute the marketing and selling. They package the processed rice as per farmer’s specifications. The company also acts as a training centre for rice growing in Africa where they train farmers and stakeholders in the whole value chain on Resource efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP). From previous projects, thirty thousand out growers have been trained and provided with basic machinery training including weeding machines, moisture monitoring machines, weighing scales, shears, etc.

Established in 2016, Sky Fat Ltd specializes in processing hides and skin.

East Africa Packaging Solutions produces customized corrugated box packaging meant for local distribution and exports. This company has benefited from 2 years of improvement on Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) with Uganda Cleaner Production Centre (UCPC) which formed the basis of being incorporated in the Industrial Symbiosis (IS) project.