ADVERTORIAL FOR DOW“ Without waste infrastructure,
trash is thrown into rivers,
streets, beaches, or burned.”
KEIRAN SMITH, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF MR. GREEN AFRICAA stagnant river clogged with trash. Air choked
with toxic fumes from burning waste. Development
outpacing infrastructure. As Nairobi’s burgeoning
middle-class communities create explosive
growth, the city’s waste footprint is spiraling
out of control.Dow’s Project Butterfly initiative in Africa unites
residents, NGOs, government agencies, educators,
community leaders, and manufacturers in unique
partnerships to combat the crisis. By forging
these crucial collaborations, the effort helps
bridge the gap between recycling buyback
centers, sorting facilitators, collectors, and
recyclers. Often, it provides the first opportunity
for residents to harvest waste and use it to
generate wealth by collecting, sorting, and
selling it to recycling organizations where it
will be repurposed in a circular, renewable loop.“ The best way to change
behavior is through education
on the value of waste and
the risks of mismanaging it.”
CHEGE NGUGI, COUNTRY DIRECTOR, CHILDFUND KENYADespite Nairobi’s daunting amount of unmanaged
garbage, inroads are being made. Dow resources
and technical assistance enable the waste-
preneur organization Mr. Green Africa and
child development NGO ChildFund to catalyze
change. River cleanup events and recycling
education sessions help residents understand
the impact of uncontrolled waste, spotlight
ways to reverse the trend, and build enthusiasm
for a cleaner future. In communities where no
trash pickup forces garbage into rivers, school
programs are educating a new generation of
sustainability-conscious citizens.One person at a time, Project Butterfly is
changing attitudes from “waste is something
I want to get rid of” to “waste is something
of value and there’s a benefit to keeping it.”“ Paying people for the plastic
waste they collect means a steady
income, access to health care,
and a cleaner environment.”
KEIRAN SMITH, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF MR. GREEN AFRICANew transfer shops provide an organized,
sustainable system to incentivize and empower
waste pickers who comb streets and dumps for
plastics. Collectors receive training to make
sorting more effective, bring their daily supply to
the shops, and receive payment based on weight.
The plastic is then sent to recycling centers
and processed into raw material to create new
products and packaging. As a result, marginalized
waste pickers are moving out of the shadows
of society and gaining new dignity and respect
for the waste management role they play.Mr. Green Africa sees Nairobi and other emerging
markets as a new frontier for positive waste
management change. As communities embrace
the idea that plastic is too valuable to lose,
family livelihoods, security, and health improve
while polluted environments transform.“ The Kenya we live in today
is going to change. It will be
clean because now we know
better options for recycling.”
MARY, MR. GREEN AFRICA EMPLOYEEProject Butterfly proves the power of teamwork.
For the first time, everyone from local school
children and trash collectors to government
officials and international development groups
are collaborating, innovating, and accelerating
solutions. Working together, a once-doomed
river is changing course.This content was created for Dow. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic or its editorial staff.