SENREPLAST-frontpage
SenReplast is Senegal’s Plastic Waste Recycling project which aims at advancing education in Senegal through the collection and transformation of plastic wastes into sustainable school desks and classrooms.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal aims to operate a series of recycling hubs throughout Dakar and Thies, as a starter, where the plastic waste is deposited before being transferred to the manufacturing plant for recycling into school desks and construction bricks for classrooms.
 Bricks made of recycled plastic waste are waterproof, heat resistant, durable and more affordable than cement alternatives.

Mobile Apps: SenReplast uses a mobile app to allow collectors to schedule their drop offs at nearby recycling hubs. The app also allows businesses to schedule pickups for plastic waste at no cost!

Free Plastic Recycling Bins: SenReplast will provide recycling bins to a selected number of households free of charge. The recycling bins are collected bi-weekly starting from 10 am GMT. The color of the SenReplast recycling bin establishes the collection day. These “color zones” are: Green, Blue, and Red

All recycled plastic wastes should be bagged and placed inside the SenReplast blue plastic recycling bin container which can be set out on the curb the night before the scheduled pickup and should be promptly put away once collection is complete. Only recycled plastic wastes may be placed inside the SenReplast recycling containers and all items should be clean and free of food remnants before placing them in the bins.

Collection Trucks: SenReplast also aims to lease or purchase collection trucks to collect the SenReplast recycling bins from households and businesses.  SenReplast trucks will be blue with green stripes trucks, and they will be driven by Senegalese staff trained to the highest standards

Bulk Pickup: SenReplast also offers one free bulk pickup per month. Businesses and households with large amounts of plastic waste may call SenReplast or use the apps to schedule a bulk pickup, free of charge. Please call to schedule the pickup before placing large items at the curb. 

Recycling Drop Off Events: SenReplast also aims to offer several drop off events to promote cleaner neighborhoods. Items accepted at these events include Shopping Bags, Freezer Bags, Milk Bottles, Ice Cream Containers, Juice Bottles, Shampoo, Chemical & Detergent Bottles, Buckets,Soft Drinks & Water Bottles,Cosmetic Containers,Bottles & Ice Cream Tubs, Potato Chip Bags, Straws, Microwave Dishes, Kettles, Garden Furniture, Lunch Boxes, Packaging Tape, etc.  (no air conditioning units, refrigerators/freezers, or large appliances), latex paints, oil-based paints & stains are not accepted.

Drop-Off Locations (Dakar, Thies, for now): The drop-off locations allow collectors that are enrolled in the PCI program to drop off collected plastic waste at those locations. Plastic waste drop-offs are accepted  Monday through Saturdays  from 9am GMT to 6pm GMT.

By appointment drop-offs: PCI agents are strongly encouraged to make an appointment for their drop-offs either through the SenReplast application, by phone, email, or text message. After the appointment is made and accepted, a text message containing a confirmation code for the drop-off appointment will be sent to the collector’s registered phone number, which needs to be shown at the drop-off locations. 

By appointment drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm GMT (if a PCI agent is more than 10 minutes late for an appointment, the appointment may need to be rescheduled. This is to ensure that the PCI agents who arrive on time do not wait longer than necessary to log and drop off their plastic waste. You may be given the option to wait for another appointment time on the same day if one is available)

Walk in drop-offs: PCI agents are also welcome to walk in and drop off plastic waste without appointment. Without appointment drop-offs are Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1pm to 5pm GMT

Business Drop-off and Pickups: Business drop-offs and pickups are accepted by appointment only, which can be scheduled either through the SenReplast application, by phone, email, or by SMS. 

  • Business Scheduled Pickup (BSP): SenReplast offers one free bulk pickup per month to businesses, any other scheduled pickup will be assessed a $200 charge. 
  • Business Scheduled Drop-off (BSD): Business drop-offs are only accepted on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm GMT. They are free of charge!

SenReplast Visa Card: The SenReplast Visa Card is a Plastic Collectors Incentive (PCI) which aims to compensate plastic waste collectors with points they can redeem for cash deposited in their SenReplast Visa Card. The SenReplast Visa Card can be redeemed for health insurance, groceries and Education (in locations that accept Visa Card payments.

Plastic Waste Collectors or PCI agents are compensated with points they can redeem for cash deposited into their SenReplast Visa Card, or mobile money account. The SenReplast Visa Card can be redeemed for health insurance, groceries and education in locations that accept Visa Card payments.

How does it work?

Only plastic waste is accepted at this time.

Once accepted into the PCI program, the PCI agent is provided with a unique ID number. The ID number is needed to drop off plastic waste and to redeem the cash. Every time a PCI agent makes a drop-off, a confirmation number is sent to their phone with a cash value based on the weight recorded by the scale, or the number of plastic bottles they bring. The accumulated cash is directly deposited into their SenReplast wallet.

  • 1 Plastic bottle 24 ounces or under = 25 CFA
  • 1 Plastic bottle over 25 ounces = 50 CFA 
  • 1 Pound of plastic waste = 500 CFA

 

How to redeem the cash?

Mobile Money payouts: PCI agents only need to enter their unique ID number (provided at the time of registration) into the mobile money application to deposit funds from SenReplast to their mobile money account. (For added security, a code will be sent to the registered phone number which will need to be entered into the mobile money application before a withdrawal is approved).

SenReplast Visa Card: PCI agents are eligible to request a Visa Card payout after they have accumulated 10,000 points or 10,000 CFA, whichever comes first.  

Once the PCI agent is eligible, he/she can request a card from their profile dashboard. The card can be mailed to the address of the PCI agent or be picked up at one of our offices. 

-Note: The SenReplast Visa Card is a prepaid card, which means it can be reloaded by depositing money into your SenReplast wallet.

How to become a PCI agent?

If you are interested in joining the PCI program as a collector/agent, you can submit your complete application using the following methods:

  1. 1- Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal’s website (www.senegalbgc.org/senreplast)
  2. 2- SenReplast App
  3. 3- Apply in person at a SenReplast local office: (in-person applications are only accepted on Mondays from 9 to 5pm GMT

All applicants must bring a national ID with them when applying in person).

Note: SenReplast does NOT charge a fee for the application.  

Application Processing Time

Applications are processed within two (2) weeks. Those who are accepted into the PCI program will be notified by phone and email.  

All accepted PCI agents will be provided with a unique identification number.

What is expected of the PCI agent?

All accepted PCI agents will be provided with a unique identification number which they need for drop-offs and payouts.

Step 1: Rinse out all of the plastic bottles you have collected with clean water, remove the caps from bottles and place them in garbage bags or a suitable container (keep the caps separate from the plastic bottles).

Step 2: Launch a Web browser and navigate to SenReplast’s official website. The locations and contact information of our recycling centers, the items we recycle, the amount the centers pay for items, contact information and hours of operation are all on there.

Step 3: Schedule an appointment for a drop off directly through the website or the app or call the recycling center you want to visit to get further information.

Step 4: Take the plastic bottles to the recycling center. The recycling center representative will ask you to scan your ID for identification purposes, and key in the appointment confirmation code into the system (this does not apply for walk in drop-offs).

Step 5 (Weight-based): The representative will ask you to place the recyclables on the scale and issue you a cash value based on the weight calculation.  Check that the weight recorded by the recycler’s scale matches the weight recorded on your receipt. Ask to speak with a supervisor if you notice a discrepancy.

Step 6 (Count-based): The representative will ask you to place the bottles on the automatic counting line and issue you a cash value based on the number of bottles recorded by the machine. Ask to speak with a supervisor if you notice a discrepancy.

Step 7: After the drop-off is completed and approved, the PCI agent will receive a SMS containing a confirmation number and a cash value for their deposit.  The PCI agent can view their full deposit history and earnings from their SenReplast profile. 

HERE ARE SAMPLES OF DESKS
BUILT FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC WASTE

*For illustration purposes only

USE OF PLASTIC WASTE IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS

*For illustration purposes only

WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE?

Lack of classrooms in Senegal

Lack of classroom resources

Classroom shortage is one of the main issues impeding education in Senegal. 

  • Without classrooms, children of Senegal cannot attend school.
  • Without classroom resources schools in Senegal cannot thrive.
  • Without desks, children of Senegal are either forced to sit four on a bench meant for two students or sit on the floor. This can impede on their ability to focus and learn.

The SenReplast project aims to address these issues by building classrooms and desks from recycled plastic waste.

Addressing plastic waste polution problems in Senegal

With a population of 17 million, as of January 2021, Senegal is projected to produce over 800,000 tons of plastic waste by 2025. The plastic waste is currently clogging up the ocean’s waters damaging fish stocks and poisoning agricultural land. The vast majority of the Senegalese population who live off fishing and agriculture have seen a tremendous decrease in income and are struggling against their water being polluted and their land being contaminated. 
The SenReplast project serves as a solution to combat the menace of plastic pollution in Senegal.

Addressing deforestation problems in Senegal

Senegal is at 45% forest cover as of 2021. Our aim is to double this rate.

Deforestation can lead to major environmental problems such as flooding, soil erosion, climate change, desertification, fewer crops, and an increased greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, to name a few.

Deforested areas often see a decrease in rainfall, thus leading to drought. Tree roots play an important role in holding the soil in place. Without forest cover, rain or wind can wash rich soil away making the land barren and unsuitable for crops. 

The SenReplast project helps cut down on deforestation through the use of plastic desks instead of wooden desks which is currently being used in Senegal.

see illustrations of deforestation below and its effect on the environment

The SenReplast project not only helps cut down on deforestation through the use of plastic desks but also serves as a solution to combat the menace of plastic pollution in Senegal and to facilitate access to classrooms and classroom resources in Senegal.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

If you are passionate about the SenReplast project and would like to help, fill out the form below, we would love to discuss with you and see how we can work together to make this project successful. 

We are looking to partner with organizations who are experienced in plastic waste recycling or have conducted similar projects.