SOLIBRA has officially launched the ECO BOX project, a initiative aimed at strengthening the fight against plastic pollution and promoting a sustainable circular economy in Treichville, Ivory Coast, on World Without Plastic Day, July 3.

The choice of Treichville stems from its daily production of significant amounts of plastic waste that clog drains and weaken infrastructure. ECO BOX aims to transform this waste into valuable resources through a structured collection and recycling system.

The project relies on collaboration between SOLIBRA, the Treichville Foundation, and BIRWAST, specializing in plastic waste recycling. This synergy seeks to improve waste management, preserve urban environments, and create new economic opportunities at the local level.

Several equipment were delivered to operational teams, including six brooms, a collection tricycle, 80 trash cans, twelve rakes, gloves, shovels, and traditional gardening tools.

Through ECO BOX, partners aim to achieve several objectives, including eliminating plastic waste from drainage systems to reduce flood risks, creating jobs for young residents as collectors and drivers, and recycling collected plastics.

The project also focuses on community sensitization. Collectors will encourage residents to adopt proper waste sorting practices and promote a culture of cleanliness within the commune.

A launch ceremony marked the project’s commencement with the cutting of a ribbon, followed by the presentation of the first collection tricycle to one of the assigned collectors who will patrol Treichville’s streets to collect plastic waste.