Bright Light Projects Champions Routine Plastic Clean-Up and Recycling in Bamenda,Cameroon with other Partners – October 26, 2024
4 min read
Climate change and environmental protection have been at the center of most international and local discussions, especially after the Paris Agreement 2015. Plastic pollution has been identified as one of the drivers of climate change and environmental degradation globally, particularly in Cameroon. Like many urban centers in Cameroon, Bamenda faces significant environmental challenges due to rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management systems.
Plastic waste, in particular, has become a problem that requires much-needed attention, with plastic bags, bottles, and other single-use items littering streets, waterways, and landscapes in most cities in Cameroon and Bamenda inclusive. This poor waste management poses health risks to humans and wildlife in the communities of Bamenda. The increase in plastic pollution in the communities of Bamenda can be associated with limited knowledge of the impacts of plastic waste on the environment/communities, Lack of waste management infrastructure, Poor disposal of plastic waste habits, and Ineffective policies and legislation. The effect of this poor waste management has been devastating on communities, resulting in Pollution, Flooding, Destruction of the ecosystem and natural resources, and Diseases. This has thus increased the need for urgent action to remedy the situation. Given that environmental protection is not a one-man thing, given that it affects all, it, therefore, requires collective action from all actors to effectively address environmental protection, especially climate change, which is associated with plastic pollution as part of BLP’s environmental sustainability program and as part of its project titled “Promoting sustainable waste management and economic opportunity through plastic recycling in Bamenda, Cameroon, and Makeni, Sierra Leone”, bright light projects with Partners (ASDEPCO and The GREENS) have been engaged in series of activities and outreach programs aimed at enhancing environmental protection in the Bamenda, northwest region of Cameroon.
Bright Light Projects and partners have thus collaborated on several initiatives, including research, advocacy, awareness, community engagement, and support for local actions to protect our environment. This aligns with international environmental agreements and Cameroon’s Long-term development goals in fostering sustainable development.
One key activity that the organization has been engaged in related to environmental protection has been plastic cleanup campaign programs.
On this note, on the 26th of October 2024, Bright Light Projects and partners carried out a cleanup campaign at the Mulang stream to remove many plastic containers from the Mulang water channel. We collected thousands of plastic containers that were removed and transported to the shredding side to start reducing, recycling, and reusing plastics. This aimed to reduce plastic pollution in the water channel at Mulang, improve water quality, protect aquatic life, and protect environmental protection. It was also intended to reduce water plastic waste in the water channel by encouraging the Mulang community to adopt sustainable practices such as recycling, reusing, and reducing plastic use to reduce the impact of poor waste management, especially plastic pollution such as floods and drought.
Members of both organizations and university students from the University of Bamenda attended the outreach activity highly. In addition to removing plastics, participants were educated on environmental protection best practices and called upon to take the message to their peers and families while ensuring that they were taught by example. The activity ended with transporting the plastics to the shredding site for recycling.
In the course of the activity, the participants faced several challenges, including but not limited to the risk of injury from hazardous materials and sharp objects, the depth of the river, which paused as a threat to participants, exposure to waterborne diseases from the waste, Limited community participation difficulties in tracking progress or measuring impact due to the increase in the volume of trash in the river even after the activity.
With the present challenges in carrying out this activity, there is a need for resources to be able to conduct thorough risk assessments and provide safety training for participants, procure first aid kit for emergency response, engage local communities through outreach and education programs, and also collaborate with local leaders, develop strategies for handling hazardous materials or toxic substances, while also providing clear communication, training, and support for volunteers (recognize and reward volunteer contributions). The team believes that if this is done, it will go a long way in facilitating the activities and, as a result, fostering environmental protection within the region.
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
