SGDS SA Organizes Monthly Household Solid Waste Sorting Campaign in Ouidah

The Waste Management and Sanitation Company (SGDS) held the monthly household solid waste sorting campaign this Saturday, September 7, 2024 in Ouidah.

SGDS SA continues its waste sorting awareness sessions in the cities where it operates. This is as part of its monthly household solid waste sorting campaign. In Ouidah, this Saturday, September 7, territorial leaders and supervisors of the SGDS SA traveled through the three main arteries of the city: Cotal station, Gbèna crossroads, Ouidah town hall.

According to Halidath Abibou, assistant in charge of the tri-valorization activity at SGDS SA, the aim of the monthly campaign is “raise awareness and inform the public about the importance of sorting waste, the benefits and its direct effects on the ecosystem and also on our health”. “We have raised awareness among the population about the need to separate organic waste from inorganic waste. We have also moved closer to structures such as fishmongers and supermarkets.” said Halidath Abibou. After raising awareness, she continues, we also invite them to take their inorganic waste. “We intend to come twice a week to collect all the inorganic material they will have to sort” noted the assistant in charge of the trivalorisation activity at SGDS SA.

Before the population awareness session, the territorial coordinators and the SGDS SA supervisors discussed emergency actions in the event of an accident. The president of the local committee of the Red Cross in Ouidah, Louis Tossou emphasized the need to train these agents in first aid in order to reduce the dangers associated with their activities.

The SGDS SA initiative is supported by non-governmental organizations including Casa Grande Bénin. “It is good to raise awareness among the population about sorting waste at its source,” confided Hippolyte Agoussin, project manager at Casa Grande-Benin. He emphasized on waste recovery, a crucial step after sorting. “Sorting waste is a good thing, but the solution is to recycle it. We therefore have to get the population to understand the importance of being able to recycle this waste.” he admitted. According to him, sustainable waste management makes it possible to produce new products that are useful to the population.

The director of public and environmental affairs of Ouidah town hall, Justine Alia, welcomed the attentive listening of the population. “There is still a habit of sorting from day to day. We invite our beloved populations to support us in this new method of sorting waste management (…) which is necessary and is also a source of wealth for them,” she added.

SGDS SA is in its fifth monthly household solid waste sorting campaign. The initiative contributes to protecting the environment while offering economic opportunities through waste recovery.