In Yaoundé, Cameroon’s bustling capital, an informal plastic waste recycling industry has emerged as both a lifeline and a silent environmental force. With formal waste management systems struggling to keep pace with rapid urbanization and rising plastic consumption, a grassroots network of children, teenagers, and adults has stepped in to fill the void. These individuals, often working in harsh conditions without protective gear, collect discarded plastic from households, landfills, and gutters, selling it to recycling companies for modest earnings. Their work, though largely invisible to policymakers, plays a crucial role in reducing pollution and sustaining livelihoods in underserved communities.
In neighborhoods like Obili, Ngoa-Ekele, and Biyem-Assi, the sound of teenagers calling out “vider poubelle” (“empty your bin”) has become a familiar part of daily life. Many of these young recyclers visit up to eleven households a day, exchanging their labor for small payments that help support their families. Others spend long hours, sometimes ten to twelve each day, scouring the city’s streets and drainage systems for recyclable plastics. They often form informal teams to increase efficiency, sharing tools and strategies to maximize their collections. Despite the physical toll and health risks, their resilience and ingenuity shine through, revealing a community-driven response to a growing environmental crisis.
Cameroon generates approximately 600,000 tons of plastic waste annually, yet less than 10% is recycled. The remainder ends up in landfills, waterways, or is burned, contributing to land degradation, aquatic ecosystem damage, and air pollution. In this context, the informal recycling sector is not just a survival mechanism, it is a vital environmental service. Companies like NAMé Recycling and Eco Green rely on these informal collectors to supply raw materials, creating a fragile but functional link between grassroots labor and industrial processing. While the sector remains largely unregulated and under-supported, its impact is undeniable.
The story of Yaoundé’s informal recyclers is one of necessity, innovation, and quiet heroism. It underscores the urgent need for inclusive waste management policies that recognize and empower these workers, integrating them into formal systems with fair compensation, safety measures, and social protections. As Cameroon confronts the mounting challenge of plastic pollution, the efforts of its informal recyclers offer a powerful reminder that solutions often begin at the margins, where resourcefulness meets resolve.