Eleven basic schools in the James Town, Chorkor, Lartebiokorshie and Korle Gonno enclave of the Greater Accra region have adopted an innovative and sustainable recycling initiative dubbed CyClean to assist waste management in their schools.

CyClean, an industry first waste recycling initiative by Vivo Energy Ghana, the Shell licensee, in collaboration with Environment360, a Non-Governmental Organisation was officially launch under the theme ‘Promoting Environmental Sustainability; a Collective Responsibility’ to instil the habit of recycling and waste segregation in children to ensure a clean environment.

The multiple award winning project which was successfully piloted in six basic schools namely; Nii Kojo Ababio Basic School, A.M.E Zion A, B & C, St. Georges Anglican School and Korle Gonno R/C Boys School, saw pupils educated on proper waste segregation, proper waste management, plastic and paper recycling and series of other creative activities such as the production of pencil and pen holders and flower vases from plastic materials.

Additionally, a total waste of 4.84 tonnes made up of 3.8 tonnes of plastics and 1.04 tonnes of paper have been collected and recycled during the pilot phase of the project last year.

In a speech read on behalf of the Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mrs Shirley Tony Kum, the Corporate Communications Manager bemoaned the menace of indiscriminate plastic waste disposal, especially along the coastal areas.

She is confident that by educating school children on waste segregation and management, it will positively impact communities and generations yet unborn.

“For those of us in the coastal areas, our situation is even worse. Our livelihood is threatened by our own actions. Fishermen go fishing and catch plastics and other solid waste instead of fish. We believe that by educating our school children on the effects of improper waste disposal and inculcating proper waste segregation in them, it will have a generational effect and reduce the filth in our society” she said.

The Deputy Director, Management and Supervision of the Ghana Education Service, Mrs. Leticia Garr said sanitation and waste management is an issue faced by many public schools in Ghana but hopeful that the skills acquired by the pupils and teachers through CyClean will ensure a clean environment.

“Sanitation and waste management have been one of the issues faced by many public schools in Ghana. We are hopeful that these lessons acquired by the pupils and teachers will have a telling impact on their various communities and help in the global fight to save the environment and make Ghana clean” she said.

The Executive Director of Environment360, Ms. Cordie Aziz lauded the schools for their commitments and creativity exhibited since the roll-out of CyClean and pledged to work closely with Vivo Energy Ghana to sustain the interest of the pupils through the introduction of innovative environmental initiatives.

Following the launch, the programme has been extended to include more schools such as Martyr of Uganda, SDA, Bishop Mixed, Bishop Girls and Nii Odartey Lamptey Basic Schools, all in the Greater Accra region.

Vivo Energy Ghana also presented customised bins to ensure proper waste segregation and management in the participating schools.