LocationsBeating Plastic Pollution- How Sierra Leone’s waste transformers are powering change
June 5, 2025
Peter George , winner of the 2024 Youth-Led Innovation Challenge with school children using this solar bags made form plastic waste
This 2025 World Environment Day, under the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution,” we are shining a light on young entrepreneurs who are turning one of the country’s biggest environmental challenges into a source of innovation, jobs, and hope. With support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), these grassroots change-makers are proving that waste doesn’t have to end in the gutter, but add value to it to make useful.
It is projected each Sierra Leonean generates 0.5kg of plastic waste per day, totaling an estimate of 130,000 tonnes of plastic waste per annum, much of which from single-use sachets, bags, and wrappers. With less than 10% of it recycled, the rest clogs drains, beaches, pollutes waterways with chemicals of concern that threatens both public health and local economies.
But amid the growing crisis, inspiring efforts are emerging, from youth-led entrepreneurs, all part of a circular economy vision that UNDP is proud to support.
Peter George , Founder of Ideal Technologies Start Up producers of the reccycled Solar School Bags
Lighting the Future through Solar School Bags in Bo
In Bo City, Peter George is transforming plastic waste into a lifeline for students living without electricity. Through his startup, Ideal Technologies, Peter collects discarded plastic and turns it into durable backpacks equipped with built-in solar lights, giving schoolchildren the ability to study after dark.
“I used to walk to school in Bo with no bag, and my younger brothers had the same experience,” Peter recalls. “We’d struggle to study at night because there was no light. That inspired me to create something that helps students and tackles waste at the same time.”
With support from the 2024 Youth-Led Innovation Challenge, organised by UNDP and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Peter’s innovation has grown stronger. “We’ve recycled over 7 tonnes of plastic waste, set up a proper production space.”
Since its inception, Ideal Technologies has produced more than 600 solar-powered bags, trained over 250 young people in green skills and created five full-time jobs.
A plastic waste collector from WasteWay Cycle Salone
Weaving waste into wearables - WasteWay Cycle Salone
In Freetown and Kono, WasteWay Cycle Salone is showcasing that waste can be both beautiful and useful. Supported by the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme, the team collects single-use plastic and weaves it, together with cotton yarn, into upcycled fashion and household products, including school bags, shopping totes, slippers, rugs, and even dresses.
Using custom-built weaving machines and traditional techniques, WasteWay has trained more than 50 young people, and sold more than 3,000 upcycled items.
“What many people see as trash, we saw as a tool for transformation,” says Osman Yaah, Co-founder of WasteWay Cycle. “With support from UNDP, we’re not just cleaning up our streets,we’re creating jobs and changing mindsets.”
Growing local solutions
UNDP’s support for these grassroots solutions underscores the transformative potential of the circular economy in tackling plastic pollution, driving green entrepreneurship, and fostering inclusive economic growth, while complementing national efforts to strengthen waste-related policies and regulations. The circular economy offers more than just a way to manage waste—it holds the key to transforming plastic pollution into sustainable solutions that drive innovation, create jobs, and protect our planet for generations to come.
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