Environment 360, a sustainability organization, has taken a significant step towards fostering a circular economy in the Tema Newtown enclave by organizing the Pick-it 2.0 Green Fair, a circular exhibition and job fair.
This event engaged over 50 students from Evergreen International School and Assemblies of God International School, along with 30 plastic waste pickers, providing them with valuable knowledge and skills related to proper waste disposal, climate change, and the circular economy concept.
The Pick-it 2.0 Green Fair served as an interactive platform for community members to gain insights into the circular economy and their role in its implementation.
Selasi Charway-Glover, program manager at Environment 360, emphasized the importance of community engagement in the transition towards a circular economy.
“Our goal is to provide tangible skills and support that allow waste pickers to climb the value chain so that they can become more than just collectors,” Charway-Glover added.
The exhibition also highlighted the environmental risks associated with plastic waste and educated participants on adopting sustainable practices to minimize plastic pollution.
Community members witnessed a live recycling demonstration using Environment 360’s modular recycling system, gaining hands-on experience in transforming plastic waste into useful products.
Community members were informed about the hazards that plastics can pose to their environment. They were thus urged to adopt sustainable practices to limit the amount of plastics in the ecosystem.
“We provide a variety of value-added services, such as livelihood training to increase the resilience of our waste pickers and assistance in enrolling in the National Health Insurance Scheme.”
“We also provide childcare and educational support for themselves or their dependents,” Charway-Glover added.
Participants were educated on the need to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste.
“Through this training, I was enlightened on how to turn plastic waste into money, and I will try it out when I finish school,” one of the pupils who benefited remarked.
