Sanguisé

Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the country’s commercial heart. But today the national parks, beaches and rivers close to the city are threatened by plastic pollution. The absence of an effective waste management infrastructure has led to plastics entering the natural environment and posing risks to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The River Wouri – which flows through both the city and the Douala Edéa National Park – and the shores of the Atlantic Ocean end up awash with plastic pollution. rePurpose Global’s initiative tackles this pollution by funding plastic collection along beaches, rivers and waterways. The funding from rePurpose Global’s partners will improve and restart collections through river clean-up campaigns, and provide boats for efficient plastic collection from waterways.

This will help to protect marine life in the Atlantic Ocean, and the delicate mangrove and equatorial forest ecosystems nearby that are home to manatees, chimpanzees and forest elephants. The project will also support the lives of local people whose livelihoods depend on fishing. By collaborating with NAMé Recycling the PET is transformed into pellets and straps that can be made into new products. Additionally, the project will create job opportunities for waste workers, and engage with the community through periodic training and campaigns.