E-waste project in DRC scales up operations

In 2013, WorldLoop kicked off a partnership with Benelux Afro Center (BAC). BAC is a non-profit organization created by members of the African diaspora in Belgium in the context of self-community care. Since 2013, BAC operates a small scale e-waste collection and dismantling pilot project in Kinshasa.

Today, the project is ready to grow. With financial support from Foundation Gillès and WorldLoop, BAC is increasing its collection targets and reaching more communities in the greater Kinshasa region. BAC is connecting with phone customers and repairers by creating awareness and collecting electronic scrap from them to be recycled in an environmentally sound way.

The project officially kicked off in August 2014, with coverage of the e-waste project on national television. In September, Dr. Ndudi Phasi of BAC and Thomas Poelmans of WorldLoop undertook a joint mission to the DRC to prepare the scaling up of the project.

As a result of the mission, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Minister of Environment in the DRC, providing endorsement and government support to the project. Collection partners were visited and the collection & dismantling workshop was set up. We look forward to seeing the continued growth and impact of our first project in the DRC!

A high level delegation of corporate supporters & sponsors will be visiting the BAC e-waste centre as part of Close the Gap’s Ambassador trip. Stay tuned for more information on the DRC project!