Abidjan Trash 2 Talent Creates Opportunities for Youth in Côte d'Ivoire

The Climate Soldiers Association is empowering young people in Côte d'Ivoire to become leaders in environmental action through its innovative Abidjan Trash2Talent project. As part of the organization's broader efforts to promote a circular economy, the project transforms waste management challenges into opportunities for youth by fostering environmental awareness, practical skills and entrepreneurship.

Côte d'Ivoire is facing a crisis around trash production, with more trash produced each year and low rates of recycling. This contributes to pollution in urban and coastal communities and creates public health risks. Abidjan Trash2Talent was developed in response to these challenges and based on a belief that trash also provides an opportunity for creativity and innovation.

The first step of the project was raising awareness among youth about the environmental impacts of waste while providing hands-on training in the creative reuse of plastic and textile materials. Through online training sessions, webinars, and community outreach activities, participants learned practical upcycling techniques as well as gained a deeper understanding of their local waste management systems. At designated intervention sites, waste was collected to serve as raw material for the project. This provided another opportunity to engage the local community in the project. 

Following this awareness campaign,Abidjan Trash2Talent launched their first ever Upcycling Competition. Participants were invited to submit their ideas for transforming plastic and textile waste into useful and marketable products. Eleven participants were selected to take part in the competition. They received mentorship, technical support and resources to develop their practice.

The project concluded with a closing ceremony held at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University of Abidjan at the end of April. The event brought together participants, mentors, and partners to celebrate the creativity, innovation, and achievements of the young entrepreneurs. The projects varied widely in how they made use of waste materials and many demonstrated great potential for marketability in the future. 

Abidjan Trash2Talent has demonstrated the potential of youth-led innovation to address environmental challenges. By equipping young people with practical skills, fostering environmental stewardship, and promoting circular economy solutions, the project has laid the foundation for a new generation of climate leaders in Côte d'Ivoire.