The Practice: What Changes

What does it mean concretely for the livelihood of the people on site when plastic suddenly has a real value?

People living on less than 2.15 dollars a day sell us an average of around 35 kilos of collected plastic waste and earn roughly 2.70 euros. That immediately takes them out of extreme poverty for the day. On top of that, our recycling operation creates permanent jobs that give people a long-term, secure future. Our goal is to gradually expand until we can accept every type of waste.

Which observation on site has surprised you the most?

The direct impact on health. A woman from a village in Ghana told me that thanks to us there are fewer diseases. The mosquitoes that spread dengue and yellow fever breed in discarded plastic bottles. Since these are now collected, the disease risk decreases. I was also surprised by how quickly the infrastructure is accepted. In many places, there are neither waste bins nor a waste collection system. But once the necessary infrastructure is in place, it is often embraced even more readily than in Switzerland.

How does your work change the perception of plastic in the public discussion?

People love that we turn plastic waste into opportunities.

Looking at plastic in the context of your work: What is often underestimated about it?

What is greatly underestimated is that plastic waste has a value. Because we have already been able to prove it on a small scale, I am one hundred percent convinced that the gross domestic product of a country would grow if they managed and monetized plastic waste professionally. 

Which insight about the actual value of plastic has become particularly clear in your work on site?

Through the monetization, many new jobs are created and that country becomes cleaner. Since the people have grown up without this infrastructure, the appreciation is extremely high. Once we have a working system in place, local people use the recycling market as a source of income to build a better life step by step.

The Outlook: Where New Paths Open

What role can a model like yours play in the global handling of plastic in the future?

We can play a central role in advancing the circular economy and reducing plastic waste. Especially in the Global South, where infrastructure is often lacking altogether, our approach is comparatively cost-effective. We want to further expand our presence there and become a key partner for municipalities and governments, as well as for plastics producers and consumer goods manufacturers. Our focus starts at the household level, helping to ensure that plastic never ends up in the environment in the first place.

How do you measure the tangible impact of your work in the field?

We register every person who exchanges plastic bottles for meals. We know exactly whom we help and know the faces of the people. In addition, we conduct regular surveys. We often question ourselves critically whether our efforts are worthwhile and whether we are really improving the lives of these people.

What needs to change so that models like yours can function sustainably and develop in further countries?

A country must manage and monetize plastic waste professionally. We must proceed step by step because a model is only sustainable if it is economically viable. Currently we still finance ourselves through donations, funding and material sales. Our goal, however, is for our plants in the target countries to become completely self-sustaining. In Ghana we were already able to prove this on a small scale.

The interview was conducted by Claudia Wörner, Managing Director of yes or no Media GmbH.