Association Zéro Déchet Sénégal was formally established in March 2018, when it opened its first branch in the capital city Dakar. The organisation’s top objective is to reduce waste and wastefulness by addressing the root cause of waste production and improving the reuse of what is produced.
To contribute to addressing the waste management issues across the country, Association Zéro Déchet Sénégal decided to open its second branch on the beautiful island of Saint-Louis. Despite the island’s incredible beauty, it also struggles with waste management challenges.
“Sightseeing in Saint-Louis is very sad, as its banks and beaches are polluted with all kinds of waste. The island also has a technical landfill centre in Gandon, which is not up to standard,” said Alioune Banda, AZDS Saint-Louis branch coordinator.
The partnership between Association Zéro Déchet Sénégaland Saint-Louis began when young people from the island reached out to the organisation, inspired to address all the waste plaguing their environment. The branch started with a ‘Zero Waste Ambassador’ training at the Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, followed by two other trainings at the French Institute of Saint-Louis and at the headquarters of the Association for Research Action Development and Environment in Sahel (ARADES).
To further celebrate this partnership, Association Zéro Déchet Sénégal held an official launch event on the 5th of February 2022. The event, which took place in Hub Nord by Jokkolabs, Rte de Khor, Saint-Louis, saw artists, vendors, partner organisations, civil society groups, members of the organisation, authorities and civilians in attendance. This gathering brought together different actors in the zero waste movement and even afforded local artists and vendors the opportunity and space to show how they are working toward zero waste at their various levels.
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