“Please act for Green Alafco's initiative to build a decent life and sustainable cities.”

Hello everyone! I am Maher Oudira from Tunisia, located in the northernmost part of Africa. Tunisia is a small country with a population of around 12 million and a GDP per capita of approximately $3,800, but it is known for its beautiful Mediterranean coastline and retains the charm of a Mediterranean country. With a mix of French, Arab, and North African cultures, Tunisia is often known as the jewel of North Africa due to its stunning architectural styles.

Did you know that Tunisia is currently struggling with waste management issues? With an annual production of about 2.5 million tons of waste, Tunisia is facing a waste overload due to inadequate waste treatment facilities and a lack of long-term vision, regulations, and plans to address the issue. Only about 5% of the collected waste is being recycled. It's sad to see waste piling up in this beautiful country.

Now, I am going to introduce the unsung heroes of Tunisia who are working towards solving this social issue!

They are waste pickers of Tunisia! The waste pickers are individuals who collect recyclable waste from streets, waste bins, etc, and sell them to recycling factories to make a living. According to WWF, these informal sector workers, such as waste pickers,are responsible for collecting about 80% of recyclable plastic waste in Tunisia. They are the unsung heroes behind the scenes complementing Tunisia's waste and recycling management system and protecting the environment!

The Ministry of Social Affairs in Tunisia estimates that there are over 8,000 waste pickers in the country. However, due to the lack of relevant regulations, these individuals are not socially recognized and often work in extremely difficult conditions. They face numerous challenges such as dangerous working environments, limited access to sanitation, social security, healthcare, and low income. Not to mention, the task of collecting and transporting scraps to nearby recycling centers is also physically demanding.

To make Tunisia beautiful again, we need to act now to provide safer and more stable working environments for the waste pickers, the unsung heroes.

That is how I started the self-reliance project, Green Alafco! Through my experience working in the aluminum can manufacturing industry, we recycle used aluminum cans(UBC) into industrial aluminum. We collect thrown-away aluminum cans on the streets, process them, and resell them to companies that originally produced them. This way, we create additional value on the waste and contribute to a circular economy where resources are constantly used over and over in a closed loop. We also recycle not only UBC but also plastic and other materials. We are working hard for our goal to achieve 100% of waste recycled.