Plastic Circle West Africa
We turn discarded plastic into local jobs, everyday products and cleaner coastlines, starting in Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Two countries
Sierra Leone and The Gambia
One shared model
From collection to local manufacturing
Local teams
Run day to day by local implementation partners
The challenge
Plastic is piling up across West Africa's coasts and cities
Plastic waste collects faster than fast-growing coastal cities in West Africa can manage it. Much of it never reaches a bin or a recycling facility. It ends up in drains, rivers, mangroves and the ocean, where it harms wildlife, blocks drainage and raises public health risks in crowded neighbourhoods.
Worldwide, people produce more than 400 million tonnes of plastic every year, and a large share of it becomes waste (UNEP, 2024). In West Africa, limited collection systems and small-scale recycling turn that waste into a daily, visible problem on streets and beaches.
Plastic Circle West Africa treats that same plastic as a local resource. Collected, sorted and processed close to where it is generated, it becomes furniture, household goods and income for the people who collect and make it.
The model
From waste leakage to local value creation
Recover
Neighbourhood and institutional collection, local collectors, labelled drop-off points and public campaigns create a reliable plastic feedstock.
Prepare
Plastic is sorted by type, colour and quality, then cleaned and prepared for production under clear quality and safety procedures.
Make
Locally operated machinery shreds, presses and forms recovered plastic into furniture, outdoor products, interior elements, surfaces, household goods and customised products.
Sell & Reinvest
Product sales and services create local revenue, with surpluses reinvested into operations, jobs, maintenance and gradual expansion.
Country platforms
Two local platforms, one shared approach
Plastic Loop in The Gambia and DecoPlastic in Sierra Leone apply the same model on the ground, each shaped by its own local partner, waste streams and markets.
Impact at a glance
Seven ways this programme creates value
Cleaner waters & biodiversity
Plastic kept out of rivers, mangroves and coastal waters, protecting aquatic and marine life.
Circular economy, less waste
Plastic recovered, reused and made into products, cutting demand for virgin material.
Decent work & local value
Local green jobs and income, with collectors fairly integrated and better earnings.
Women & youth included
Clear targets for women's participation and a strong focus on young people.
Healthier communities
Cleaner neighbourhoods, better waste management and lower public health risks.
Climate action
Less open burning of plastic and protection of carbon-storing mangroves.
Awareness & dialogue
Public campaigns and community engagement build lasting awareness of plastic pollution and why recycling matters.
Focus
Four dimensions of impact
Environmental
Plastic diverted from drains, rivers, mangroves and coasts and converted into productive use, with less open burning along the way.
Social
Inclusive jobs, training and safer, more structured participation for collectors, with deliberate targets for women and young people, alongside public campaigns that build community awareness of plastic pollution and recycling.
Economic
A local value chain from waste to product, growing revenue, buyers and services over time.
Operational
Resilient production through hybrid energy, quality control and durable local partnerships and sourcing agreements.
Our partners
Who delivers the programme
Plastic Circle West Africa is delivered through a Swiss-led partnership with a shared technology partner, backed by local implementation organisations on the ground in each country.
Ayara Foundation Switzerland
Programme lead: strategy, technical direction, governance and international partnerships, in close collaboration with the local lead partners.
ECOLLABO8
Technology partner: recycling machinery, technical onboarding, production know-how and training for local teams.
ETH Zurich
Recycling and production quality support, process design and applied know-how from an academic angle, complementing ECOLLABO8's machinery and training.
Each country platform also has its own local implementation partner on the ground. See the Sierra Leone and Gambia pages for details.
Open positions
Join a local team
As each country platform moves from setup into operations, our local implementation partners are building local teams in collection, production, design, finance and community engagement. Roles below are recruited in anticipation of donor approval. More positions will be added as Sierra Leone and The Gambia scale up.
Senior Finance and Administrative Officer
Greater Banjul Area · full-time, 12-month contract, renewable
Oversees financial management and administrative operations for the project: budgeting, financial reporting, donor compliance, procurement and general office administration.
Workshop Fabrication Lead
Greater Banjul Area · full-time, 12-month contract, renewable
Coordinates and supervises workshop fabrication activities, keeping production safe, efficient and in line with approved drawings, specifications and quality standards.
More roles will be posted here as recruitment opens for DecoPlastic in Sierra Leone and as Plastic Loop Gambia scales up.
Want to learn more or get involved
Get in touch to learn more about Plastic Circle West Africa, our local partners, or how to support the work in Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Get in Touch