World Environment Day: a recycling approach promoting environmental sustainability and community empowerment in Liberia by Abraham L.B. Freeman

Abraham L. B. Freeman, an Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity US & Global, is the founder of Environmental Rescue Initiative (ERI), a community-based organization that recycles waste plastic into usable materials,?raises awareness around environmental pollution, and advocates for community-driven waste management programs in underserved communities in Liberia. Abraham and ERI are mobilizing communities for the construction of a community-based Recycling Resource Center which will promote environmental sustainability and serve as a source of community empowerment. This project is being carried out in conjunction with Wendy Somlavi and Nomfundo Mkhaba, Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity in South Africa, and supported by an Atlantic Institute Connect grant.

My team and I train female heads of household to recycle waste plastics and African fabrics into beautiful backpacks and laptop bags. This venture is a form of self-empowerment for these women because 75% of the income from the bag sale goes to them.

Recently, ERI and I integrated other recycling?initiatives into?our activities which includes upcycling waste glass bottles into drinking glasses and scented candles. As load shedding?occurs more frequently due to climate change, global warming, and other social and economic reasons, the scented candles made?from waste not only provide light during power outages , but also prevent fire disasters in homes, which are sometimes caused by open flame from regular candles.?We also started recycling PET bottles into broom heads?and other materials, a recycling concept that promises to reduce plastic bottles on the streets of Liberia.

In order to highlight the resilience of social innovation in Liberia after the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic,?our initiative was featured on the CNN Inside Africa program, which was aired on May 27 2023.

On World Environment Day this year, our community based organization is partnering with a local school and another start-up organization. We will be distributing plastic awareness brochures to school pupils and provide plastic collection facilities at the school. The collected plastics will then be recycled into beautiful backpacks, raincoats and other usable materials. The students will share their ideas for reducing plastic waste in their school and will be supported by ERI in their sustainability efforts on a continuous basis.

?We have witnessed first-hand the intersections between health equity and environmental action, so?we are using the concept of zero waste management to promote environmental sustainability, healthier citizens and community empowerment in Liberia.?