“A great source of hope”: GAYO, Climate Optimism, and the Earthshot Prize
Izzy South, MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies
Each year, over two billion tons of waste are generated globally. But where does it all go and who is responsible for managing it? Unfortunately, our global waste management system faces significant challenges.
A considerable amount of workers in the waste management sector are informally employed, particularly in developing countries. Many working in informal employment have less access to social protection and are at a greater risk of exposure to harmful toxins from waste. One in seven waste management workers are aged between 15 and 24 and up to 12.9 million women are working in the informal waste sector. Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the exposure of toxic chemicals from waste.
Image: Pexels, Pixabay / Content Licence
In response to these challenges, the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) offers "a great source of hope" for change. GAYO was one of the 2024 winners of the Earthshot Prize, an achievement which has catapulted their project onto a global stage.
Since 2021, The Earthshot Prize has been awarding entrepreneurs and visionaries from all over the world for their innovative solutions seeking to address the current climate crisis. Prizes are given to five winners from five different categories: Fix Our Climate, Revive Our Oceans, Protect and Restore Nature, Build a Waste-Free World and Clean Our Air. The Earthshot Prize awards £1 million to each of its winners, which can be used to significantly scale-up the project. This year, GAYO was announced as the winner of the Earthshot prize in the ‘Clean Our Air’ category.
GAYO was created after Desmond Alugnoa, the organisation’s co-founder, noticed the poor air quality in Accra, Ghana, after relocating to the city for university. Ghana generates three million tonnes of solid waste every year, with Accra generating around 1,800 tonnes of waste every day. Workers in the waste management sector in Ghana, many of whom are informally employed, resort to burning the mounting waste. This releases toxic fumes, which can have serious health consequences for local people.
The burning of electronic waste is particularly harmful, but is becoming an increasingly large percentage of annual waste. Today, many large information technology companies from the Global North send electronics to Ghana, often claiming to ‘bridge the digital gap’. However, 80% of the devices that arrive are broken and end up in landfills and waterways.
Alugnoa found that people had 'little to no awareness' that burning waste was contributing to health problems.
To address these issues, GAYO designed the Zero Waste Model, which has three central pillars: waste management, education and innovation.
GAYO teaches local people about the importance of segregating waste at the source to prevent build-up. It also educates women, young people and informal waste pickers about waste management best practices and commercial skills.
Then, GAYO provides vulnerable waste management workers with an alternative, safer source of income. The organisation reuses old waste to manufacture charcoal briquettes and compost, which individuals can earn money from selling. Overall, GAYO has created over 700 green jobs and empowered 3,000 women and 5,000 youths through its mission.
Though simple in design, GAYO’s Zero Waste Model has proven highly effective. In 2023, it managed to prevent over 170 tonnes of waste from ending up in landfills, with an estimated 3.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions avoided from the reduced burning of waste.
Starting out with only seven employees, GAYO has grown to involve over 500 people and expanded its mission to Botswana and Uganda. Since its inception in 2019, the organisation has attended this year’s COP in Azerbaijan, become a new member of Mission 2025 and has become linked with the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP).
GAYO is a prime example of how small, youth-led environmental projects can grow to have a huge impact. In a world often dominated by grim climate statistics, GAYO is a powerful reason to be optimistic about the future.