Cameroon has taken a decisive step toward a circular economy with the official launch of the “Waste Exchange” (Bourse des déchets) digital platform. This initiative aims to transform the millions of tonnes of waste produced annually across the country from an environmental burden into valuable industrial resources. Developed through a close partnership between the state and the private sector, the project establishes a direct link between waste producers and recycling industries to boost local raw material production.
Prominent figures from Cameroon’s economic landscape and government officials gathered in Yaoundé to announce the operational launch of this new trading hub. The project is the result of a strategic collaboration between the Inter-Patronal Group of Cameroon (GICAM, now GECAM) and the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature, and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED).
The 6 Million Tonne Challenge
The creation of the waste exchange was prompted by urgent statistical data highlighting a significant untapped potential in Cameroon’s waste management sector. Currently, the country faces a major gap between waste production and its industrial utilization:
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Annual Waste Production: Approximately 6 million tonnes of waste are generated across the country every year.
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Current Recovery Rate: Out of this massive volume, only 10 percent is currently recovered or recycled.
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Target Objective: The platform is designed to radically increase this 10 percent recovery rate, rechanneling a significant portion of the remaining 90 percent back into the industrial production cycle.
Célestin Tawamba, President of GICAM, emphasized during the launch that the platform intends to treat waste as “secondary raw materials,” which are essential for the country’s ongoing industrialization efforts.
A Digital Bridge Between Producers and Recyclers
The “Bourse des déchets” functions as a digital intermediary. The system allows waste-producing companies—ranging from the agro-industry and manufacturing lines to the service sector—to register their surplus materials. Simultaneously, recycling companies and industrial plants in need of specific raw materials can access this supply.
According to the source, the platform offers several key advantages:
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Cost Reduction: Factories can acquire raw materials from the domestic waste market at a lower cost than importing them.
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Logistics Optimization: The system helps track waste flows and makes transport chains more efficient.
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Sustainability Compliance: Companies can more easily meet their environmental obligations and corporate social responsibility goals.
Industrial Development and Environmental Protection
The project is an integral part of the “Promotion of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development” (PPDIID) initiative. Hele Pierre, Cameroon’s Minister of the Environment, pointed out that the initiative is not merely an ecological project but a significant economic driver. Processing waste on an industrial scale is expected to create new jobs and strengthen the self-sufficiency of the domestic industry.
The Minister further highlighted that the waste exchange will help eliminate illegal dumpsites and reduce urban pollution, as trash that was previously considered worthless now carries a market price and a clear industrial demand.
Official Sources and References:
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Original News Source: Business in Cameroon – Cameroon launches waste trading platform
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Competent Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED)
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Employers’ Association: GICAM (now GECAM) – Groupement Inter-Patronal du Cameroun
