Unlike that good old fashion black gold, there are plenty of ways to ensure that waste does not pollute our environment, but rather contributes to its improvement. We have said it before; we will say it again: there is incommensurable value in waste. We can derive many different products from what many of us are so eager to get rid of. At Dechets a l’Or, we have made it our mission to show the average Sub-Saharan citizen how waste could be an answer to some of our development challenges. Indeed, through the production of reliable energy, bio fertilizers healthier on our soils and food and the recycling of plastic material that considerably reduces the production of new plastic, African cities can start looking forward to a greener future.
We dump over 2 billion tons of waste every year
To support our current consumption habits, we need 1.6 planets. In other words, we are overexploiting the only planet we have and are not doing enough to alleviate the effects of the waste we produce. According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa produces an approximate 62 million tons of waste per year, with an average of 0.65 kg of waste per person per day. While these figures are rather low compared to other world regions, they are nonetheless not to be neglected given that global waste production is expected to double by 2025 if no adequate measure is taken.
Waste isn't going anywhere
Interestingly, humans seem to be the only species in nature to experience a waste problem. Most, if not all, other living beings are inherent parts of natural processes such that everything they use is ultimately transformed and put to further use. Although our modern, post-industrial lifestyle made a lot of things more convenient for us, it left us with a serious waste problem. Since very few of us are willing to go back to our old stone-age ways, we are left with one conclusion: waste is here to stay. Thus, it seems fair to assume that it would be wise to work together to find better ways to manage our waste. Beside, our survival kind of depends on it. Mismanagement of waste poses real environmental threats such as air and water pollution, degradation of lands, all of which will surely lead us to our loss. Hence, waste must be managed as efficiently as possible if we do not want to destroy this planet and all its inhabitants for good.
It can take about 450 years for the average plastic bottle to biodegrade
This means that you could live at least five lives before that bottle of Coke you just tossed in the trash completely disintegrates into nature. This is no small matter given the rate at which we consume plastic products. Luckily, there are small things we can do to limit the effects of plastic waste on the planet. The first and by far the simplest is to reduce the amount of plastic we use and/or purchase. Opting for reusable bags and bottles or products made from recycled material is always a good alternative. Another solution is to recycle our plastic and let a waste management company like Dechets a l’Or make sure that the plastic is treated and ready for reuse in other products.
It may take a village to raise a child, but it only takes one simple action from you to save the planet
There are lots of small things you can do to value waste wherever you may be. The environment belongs to every single one of us. Thus, it is in our best interest to take care of it the best way possible. Managing waste is one such way. Although daunting, it is not impossible to reduce the amount of waste we produce every day. But at the very least, we can make sure that waste is treated and managed in a way that it can serve further purposes by leaving it with waste management companies. At Dechets a l’Or, it is our mission to ensure that waste in West Africa is valued and we are continuously working on better ways to do so.
If you are still not convinced about the importance of valuing waste, check out this documentary demonstrating how Waste = Food! http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/waste-food/