The Special Representative of UN Secretary-General in Cote d'Ivoire, Mrs. Aichatou Mindaoudou took part in the launching of a programme for the collection, sorting and recycling of plastic waste and the first plastic recycling plant located in the Abidjan neighbourhood of Attecoube.





The inaugural ceremony took place in the presence of the Ivorian Prime Minister, Kablan Duncan, the Minister of Environment and Public Sanitation, Remy Allah Kouadio as well as the President of the Union of Towns and Municipalities in Cote d'Ivoire and Mayor of Yopougon, Gilbert Kafana Kone.

The project, initiated by the national Authority for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (ADDR) would provide a solution to the problem of plastic waste and an opportunity for the successful socio-professional reinsertion of ex-combatants.



The Mayor of Attecoube, Paulin Claude Danho expressed satisfaction with the choice of his municipality for the installation of the project which he said is a symbol of renewal for ex-combatants. « This centre for the collection and sorting of plastic waste would impact positively on the reinsertion of young people-at-risk who would henceforth have an income generating activity, » he announced.

The Director of ADDR, Fidele Sarassoro thanked the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), the Ivorian government and the municipalities for their constant support to the activities of his agency and for facilitating the setting up of the recycling programme which falls in line with the polices of the President of the Republic who has expressed the need for initiatives aimed at the training and reintegration of ex-combatants.



The project has sparked enthusiasm among the ex-combatants who say they are proud to be useful to society. « We have learnt to transform plastic waste and we are proud to be social agents of the environment, » a spokesman for the ex-combatants, Aboubakary Diaby said.

Prime Minister Kablan Duncan said the project was innovative and would cause the reduction of plastic bags which pollute the environment. He said thousands of kiosks would be created for the collection and washing of waste plastic bags with each kiosk employing 3 persons and generating an estimated income of CFA 1.5 million francs a month while the recycling plant employing some 42 persons could make a turnover of between CFA 7 -10 million francs a month. At the end of two years, the Prime Minister disclosed, the project could provide about 10,000 employments and make a turnover of CFA 17 billion.

He recalled that the Special Representative of UN Secretary-General, Aichatou Mindaoudou attended the launching of this project in the Koumassi municipality some months ago, saying UNOCI made a considerable contribution by undertaking the education of ex-combatants (on HIV/AIDS, gender and human rights) and providing their monthly allowance of CFA 40,000 francs.