FairPlanet.Support
| topic: | Pollution |
|---|---|
| tags: | #Think Green, #Cameroon, #plastic, #wplastic pollution, #plastic waste |
| located: | Cameroon |
| by: | Quinta Thomson |
Cameroon is grappling with a swelling plastic pollution crisis, with an estimated 600,000 tons of plastic produced annually in the country.
Worldwide, every minute one million plastic bottles are sold, and every year 500 billion of them are discarded into the environment, according to the UN Environment Programme.
In Cameroon, high plastic production rates aren't the only problem, as a country constitutes a 'dumping' destination for other nations. In 2021 alone, Cameroonian authorities intercepted and destroyed over 42 tons of non-biodegradable plastic smuggled by transporters into the country.
In addition to entering food chains, plastic waste increases the risk of flooding as it clogs ditches and drains.
Think Green, founded in 2019 by a young Cameroonian named Ahmed Moumine, is a non-profit organisation fighting plastic pollution through awareness-building, clean-up campaigns, advocacy and fundraising.
In collaboration with the Mbalmayo council, this collective of young entrepreneurs and activists organises plastic collection projects and uses what is collected to build sturdy and sustainable buildings for the community.
The collected bottles are sieved and filled with soil or sand to then serve as building blocks.
Astonishingly, in just six weeks Think Green collected 15,000 plastic bottles from the street. Building a toilet and water tank with a 3,400 liter-capacity is just one example of the numerous achievements accomplished by the NGO.
Preserving traditional engineering norms in collaboration with German engineer Andreas Froese, Think Green has readapted building to address the insurmountable issue of plastic pollution in Cameroon.
And although primarily focused on taming plastic waste, the project simultaneously generates significant income streams for the surrounding communities.
As Moumine told FairPlanet, "our aim is to change lives, impact lives, ensure unity and create jobs in the community."
However, Think Green looks to transcend local communities, highlighting its potential to grow into a worldwide movement that will inspire a new generation of protectors of the planet.
"Our policy is not that one person gives 100 percent, but rather that 100 people give only 1 percent for the benefit of our Planet," Moumine said.
Join Think Green’s movement today or support the organisation by making a donation. You may also help by following them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and sharing their work.
Image by Pierre Sunday.
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