GAIA Africa, GAYO Kick Off In‑Person Training for Next Generation of Zero Waste Leaders
The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA Africa) and the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) have opened the in‑person phase of the Africa Zero Waste Academy 2026, a training programme aimed at building a new generation of zero waste practitioners across the continent.
The in‑person session, which began this week in Kpong, follows an online phase completed last month and marks the second year of the Academy’s operation. Organisers say the programme is designed to equip participants with practical skills for building localised zero waste systems that cut emissions, create green jobs, and protect community health.
More than 700 climate and waste practitioners from across Africa applied to join the Academy this year, with organisers noting that selection was guided by considerations of gender and geographic diversity.
The training comes against the backdrop of a mounting global waste crisis. Over 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated worldwide every year, and organisers say localised interventions—such as organic waste management and separating waste at source—are proving critical to addressing the crisis and its knock‑on effects on climate, biodiversity, and livelihoods.
Ghana’s capital, Accra, was named by the United Nations in March 2026 as one of 20 Cities Towards Zero Waste, a recognition organisers say underscores the growing relevance of zero waste approaches. GAYO’s Zero Waste Accra Project, which has won awards for its work, was central to that recognition, having kept organic, plastic, and electronic waste out of landfills while helping curb methane emissions.
“This is not just about managing waste better; it’s about rethinking systems for climate resilience, green jobs, and community health,” said Ama Asiedu, GAIA Africa’s Zero Waste and Climate Program Associate.
Organisers say the Academy is grounded in the idea that waste management and people’s wellbeing are closely linked, and that the work must be approached through a justice lens—upholding the rights of waste pickers and waste workers and designing systems that prevent harm from the outset.
“Zero waste is a systems transformation agenda that challenges us to rethink and redesign the economic and material systems that generate waste,” said Fathia Selasi Charway‑Glover, Project Coordinator for Zero Waste Cities at GAYO. She said achieving zero waste requires deliberate investment in people, knowledge, policy coherence, and inclusive infrastructure that treats waste as a resource rather than a liability, adding that the Academy represents an investment in building the technical capacity and cross‑sector collaboration needed to accelerate the shift to a circular economy.
Participants have already completed a five‑week virtual programme covering movement building, waste characterisation, and monitoring frameworks. This week’s in‑person session in Ghana is meant to consolidate that learning through expert presentations and site visits to zero waste projects in Accra.
“We believe each participant has a vital role to play in shaping sustainable practices and policies within their communities. The insights and knowledge exchanged here will drive significant change towards achieving a Zero Waste Africa,” Asiedu added.
The Africa Zero Waste Academy is run by GAIA Africa as a capacity‑building initiative to equip climate and waste practitioners with the skills to implement zero waste solutions, with the goal of empowering communities to cut waste, reduce emissions, and build sustainable livelihoods across the continent.