After specializing in the field, Salif Tapsoba, a young green entrepreneur, launched into waste collection. In Ouagadougou, precisely in the Toudoubwego district (northern outskirts) where he installed his waste collection, sorting and processing unit, he is well known to local residents.
“Young people tend to say that life in the country is difficult. For those who refuse to work, these words are not surprising. Our unit offers decent work which allows our employees to live with dignity“, he says.
In his daily mission, Salif is surrounded by several teams who distribute the tasks. Some are intended for collection, others for processing. Minata Sawadogo, a day laborer, has been working on the site for 14 months now. “My role in the chain is to sort the waste, grind it mechanically and wash the residue. They are then dried in the sun and sorted again. It's a bit difficult work, but it suits me perfectly“, she points out.
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Once sorted and crushed, the waste is then packaged in bags and sold to Chinese companies based locally and used to manufacture packaging, cans, carpets and various materials.
Salif employees earn the equivalent of 1,500 FCFA per day for men and 1,000 francs for women. The unit is running at full capacity six days a week.
«To be honest, I am satisfied with the income I earn here. I am paid weekly and I earn between 3,000 and 3,500 francs per day. At the end of the week, when I get my paycheck, I am satisfied, because it allows me to take care of myself and my little family.», Explains Alidou Ouédraogo, employed for four years in the Salif unit.
These gains should be compared with the guaranteed interprofessional minimum wage which increased by 46.65% in February 2023, going from 30,684 FCFA (around 46.8 euros) to 45,000 FCFA (around 68.6 euros).
For the sustainability of its activities, Salif, with the support of the authorities, wishes to provide people with public trash bins which will not only keep their living environment clean, but also encourage waste collection, a real source of income for households.
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At the global level, the UN expressed concern in a report published at the end of February 2024 about the progression of plastic waste production. From 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023, the volume of waste could reach 3.8 billion in 2050. However, the same document recalls “a true circular economy, better industrial practices and complete management of residual waste would even make it possible to generate a net gain of more than 100 billion dollars annually. In Burkina Faso, Salif Tapsoba should be emulated. The benefits are substantial.
Par Jean Paul Windpanga Ouédraogo (Ouagadougou, correspondence)
12/22/2024 at 10:14 a.m.
