One year into its contract with the government of Gabon, International environmental services recycling firm, averda, has collected more than 208 000 tonnes of waste from the Central African country’s capital city, Liberville.

averda explained that in December 2014 it signed a five year contract to manage wastes in the city, which has an automatic renewal for a period of two years thereafter, until 2021.

averda said that it is the first integrated waste management group to have been formally contracted to ensure the cleanliness of Libreville, and the first to have cleaned the public beaches, roadways, rainwater drains, accessible gutters of tarmacked roads and river banks adjacent to this capital city.

Environmental driver 

According to the company Gabon is considered to be Central Africa’s most progressive nation, and is known for its protected parkland which makes up more than 10% of its total land area.

The country is also said to be noted for its undiscovered wonderland of thick jungle, white-sand beaches, rushing rivers and ethereal landscapes and averda ensured that the cleanliness level of the Gabonese capital is similar to that encountered in any major Western metropole.

“Due to its location along the Atlantic coast of Equatorial Africa, Gabon’s capital city is home to over a third of its population and renowned for its modern pace of life,” explained. Zaher Mansour, averda’s project director for Gabon.

Urban waste management

To date, averda said that it has collected and disposed of more than 208 000 tonnes of waste, employing in excess of 680 people and providing a 24-hour service to the Gabonese government and the municipality of Libreville.

The company added that its employees in Gabon benefit of monthly bonuses, paid overtime hours and relevant insurance coverage, including relevant on-the-job training.

For Libreville and its catchment areas, averda’s services include the collection of household waste, bulky waste, rubble, garden waste and refuse from illicit rubbish dumps, local markets, street markets, wholesale markets, fairs and so on, including the transportation of the collected waste to the Mindoubé Landfill.

Moreover, averda said that its activities in Gabon bring a direct benefit to the country’s increasing tourism industry, including the manual and mechanical cleaning of the asphalt highways, accessible public beaches, riverbanks and river mouths.

According to Mansour in addition to the collection of waste, one of the company’s most import achievements has been to change people’s attitudes to waste.
“Understanding that plastic bottles should not be thrown on the street, that the waste should be disposed of responsibly and that the duty of care starts with every resident of Libreville are a part of the significant milestones we have achieved in Gabon,” he said.

“At averda, our community reach component is as important as the contractual one and our main goal is that of educating and enabling the people to respect and protect the environment,” concluded Mansour.

Source: Waste Management World