GAYO drives behavioural change to help communities clean up waste, create jobs and build infrastructure to support circular waste management across Africa.
The African continent is the fastest urbanising region in the world, bringing individuals and communities more opportunities for education, healthcare and jobs. But the pace of uncontrolled expansion is raising serious challenges in cities across the continent. There is a lack of sustainable waste services and public awareness about proper ways to dispose of organic waste and recycle plastic and other reusable materials. As a result, much of this waste ends up in landfill or is destroyed by incineration or open burning, creating waste-related air pollution.
A functioning waste management system is vital for the economic, social and environmental well-being of all communities. Open burning of waste increases the level of dangerous air pollution; if sent to landfill, waste can pollute water supplies, rivers and the ocean, as well as damaging soil with degradation of plastics and harmful chemicals.
The Zero Waste Model is designed to create jobs and build infrastructure to support circular waste management across Africa. It brings together waste management specialists with communities and minority groups who work with waste, ensuring all these stakeholders are recognised and can play their part in the model.
The programme is directed by Desmond Alugnoa, co-founder of the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO) in 2014. He has degrees in Environmental Science and Climate Governance and works with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).
GAYO employs and trains people from every part of the community, including women, young people, waste collectors, and waste pickers. This training includes waste management best practice and other commercial skills. These people can then earn money from selling compost and charcoal briquettes made from waste, which is at the heart of the model. GAYO also works to engage stakeholders focused on community health and economic opportunity to secure greater awareness and adoption of the model.
Since 2019, they have created 70 green jobs for young people, widows, single mothers, and people with disabilities. As a result, more than 5,000 people have benefited directly or indirectly from the model. GAYO is recognised by government ministries as an expert, reliable partner that supports regional task forces and waste management initiatives.
In 2023, GAYO kept 170 tonnes of waste out of landfills — 104 tonnes of organic waste and 66 tonnes of plastic. While they don’t yet measure the impact on air pollution, they estimate their efforts saved the equivalent of 3.6 tonnes of CO2 — about the same as the emissions from a round-trip flight between London and Accra.
Desmond Alugnoa, Co-Founder and Manager, Green Africa Youth Organization
GAYO has ambitious plans to build a movement across Africa to drive behavioural change in waste management. They aim to grow from 150 to 500 employees across half of African cities by 2030, extending their reach from Ghana into Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Madagascar, Niger, and Nigeria.
As part of this, their goal is to reduce GHG emissions and particle pollution in Ghana by up to 70% compared to open burning, and to divert 50 tonnes/month (600/year) of waste, diverting a total 4,000 tonnes of waste by 2030.
GAYO’s Zero Waste Model is highly replicable and, if it achieves its plan to scale, it will become the leading approach to waste management in the African continent.
