Waste is not waste

The upcycling of tires and cardboard becomes a source of income for young people in Eswatini

For many years, GLM is working closely with communities of the Lobamba constituency and surrounding environments inclusive of commercial businesses and schools to implement waste minimization activities focusing on waste reduction, reuse and recycling. These activities led to the establishment of a waste buy back center, which provides a market for waste collection (mainly paper, cans, bottles, and plastics) in the communities (see former project phase Don't waste it).
However, used tires and cardboard recycling has failed to attract a lucrative market within the local and national buy back centre and remained a challenge on the environment due to the widespread habit to burn used tires and cardboard. While used tires and cardboard are recyclable, facilities to further process and produce decorative garden and indoor chairs from tires, toilet paper, packaging material and or repurposed household furniture from cardboard are still not available in the country.

The community leaders of Khula, with whom GLM worked for many years, raised the concern that they observed an escalating number of incidences of youth burning tire and other waste in the community which is a practice that started during the COVID 19 unrest. The main challenge of those young people are unemployment, poverty due to single-headed households, as well as lack of access to vocational skills training that will enhance their competitiveness in the job market.

The following objectives of this current project phase shall address the above mentioned problems:
a) GLM raises awareness, organizes used tire collection in the communities and establishes formal links to the private sector to access used tires and cardboard.
b) GLM capacitates 26 unemployed young women and men in repurposing cupboard and tire waste and produce new products (furniture and side products).
b) GLM capacitates the young women and men in entrepreneurial and marketing skills enabling them to sell the products.

Project site

Ezulwini (Map)

Beneficiaries

Women: 12 direct, 120 indirect
Men: 14 direct, 140 indirect

Project costs and assistance by sahee

The entire project costs are CHF 65’000.–. The project is fully financed by sahee.

sahee stays in regular contact with the project leaders, monitors the activities and visits the project once a year on site.

Duration of assistance

1st of July 2023 to 31st of June 2026

Local counterpart

Green Living Movement (GLM) Eswatini