Sierra Leone: Where Some See Waste, Others See Opportunity - Young Sierra Leoneans Fight Against Electronic Waste, Plastic Pollution

What the report says

In a report published by Inter Press Service and distributed via AllAfrica, young Sierra Leoneans are described as turning electronic and plastic waste into practical products while highlighting the country’s growing pollution challenge. The story is set mainly in Bo District in southern Sierra Leone and in Freetown, with examples from innovators Peter George and Manty Sulman Beckley.

George said seeing electronic waste dumped near farmland where his grandmother grew crops pushed him to explore reuse and recycling. He later began making solar lamps for students and, through his youth-led enterprise Ideal Technologies, developed solar-powered backpacks and lighting systems from recycled plastic and e-waste. The article says his work is intended to help children in areas with limited electricity continue studying after dark while also reducing pollution.

Beckley, based in Freetown, has spent several years converting single-use plastics into items such as bags, baskets, furniture and bricks through the Beckma Empowerment Initiative. She gathers materials from households and young collectors, but says sourcing enough waste and securing support remain difficult. Both innovators say they want to show that discarded materials can create income and useful products, not only environmental harm.

The piece places their efforts in the wider context of Sierra Leone’s waste problem, citing World Bank and Global E-waste Monitor figures and noting that plastic policy is still being developed. It says the issue affects drains, coastal ecosystems, tourism and livelihoods, making youth-led recycling an increasingly relevant local response.