Launching a Recycling Program on La Gonave

One of La Gonave's greatest assets is its beauty. Tourism has the potential to be a major source of revenue and employment for the island. But plastics and other trash have started lining its coastlines and filling its towns and cities, and there has been no program, private or public, to collect and remove that trash. Until now!

Earlier in the year, Roots of Development was introduced to Environmental Cleaning Solutions S.A. (ECSSA), a private Haitian company that has been collecting trash and recyclable goods throughout the rest of Haiti for over 8 years.

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ECSSA was started in 2010 after its founder, Edouard Carrie, dived into a recycling project while studying at the University of Tampa.  After seeing the potential recycling could have on his home nation, he started ECSSA.  In a short time, ECSSA has grown from a handful of suppliers to an internationally recognized company employing thousands of Haitians with jobs.  Currently, ECSSA collects approximately 500,000 lbs. of plastics a month. Its goal is to get to a point where it is collecting 80 tons a day.

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After visiting their facility in Port-au-Prince and learning more about their operation and goals, Roots of Development has agreed to help ECSSA set up four collection sites on La Gonave. 

Roots of Development will help ECSSA find four collection site managers, introduce them to the island's local authorities, help spread the word about the new recycling services (and the employment opportunity) to the general public, and provide the company with some ongoing, on-the-ground oversight. 

Once the collection sites and collection site managers are found and confirmed, large sacks (like the one seen in the image below) will be distributed to any residents interested in collecting the plastics. They can then bring those collected plastics to the collection center and sell them (per pound).

There is no limit to the amount of people that can begin doing this work and no limit to the amount of plastic that can be assembled and sold.

Once enough recycled products have accumulated at a collection center, the manager of the center will call ECSSA and have them come collect the goods by boat. The manager will be paid for the amount of plastic picked up, also per pound, and the goods will be transported back to Port-au-Prince. In Port-au-Prince the collected plastics will be packed and/or transformed and sold to foreign companies like Hewlett-Packard, to make things like printer cartridges, etc.

Help us launch this important and exciting project on La Gonave by making a contribution today! All of our hard work, our impact on La Gonave and in Haiti, can only continue with your support.