Waste Collection Projects Improve Employment, Environment in Mali

By Dipo Olowookere

Despite the lack of adequate infrastructure in the remote regions of Mali, where Ecolog is mostly operating, including Tessalit, Kidal, Menaka and Doentza, Ecolog has been performing remarkably well and is making a positive impact with its environmental services.

With waste collection and recycling projects in ten different locations across the country, Ecolog services have not only improved the physical environment and the living conditions of the inhabitants but also created jobs: in 2016, over 80 local employees were dedicated solely to Ecolog’s waste collection and management projects.

The mission also requires equipment assets and vehicle, as the waste is collected by a fleet of sixteen waste collection trucks and then delivered to nine specially constructed waste incinerators, for appropriate treatment according to international standards.

Ecolog started delivering its services in Mali to the various peacekeeping missions of the United Nations, including MINUSMA and UNOPS and NATO in 2014. Since then, the total number of jobs created for local people have increased from over 180 in 2014 to more than 280 people in 2016.

Furthermore, every Ecolog employee is trained and receives education to perform according to international quality and safety standards. These learning experiences will be beneficial for their future careers as well and will enable them to share this knowledge ‘at home’ to improve their standards of living.

Local companies also benefit from the presence of Ecolog as the number of local vendors has been increasing consistently year by year. Since the start of the mission in 2014, close to 150 different companies have been involved in supplying a broad variety of products and services such as transportation, supply of various goods and material, from food, water and medical supplies to spare parts and fuel. From 2014 to 2016, over 37 millions of US dollars were spent on locally procured goods, materials and services, thereby contributing to the economy of Mali.

Overall, Ecolog is present in 20 locations across the country, with headquarters in Bamako, and provides a broad range of services to more than 12,000 people of the peacekeeping missions. As part of its operations in Mali, Ecolog has built roads, camps, state-of-the-art multi-temperature warehouses and established an agile and reliable multimodal supply chain.

Paul Broekhuijsen, CEO of Ecolog said: “Ecolog’s operations in Mali are an illustration of the company’s capabilities to support operations in a country, where conditions can be challenging, from a terrain perspective as well as the security conditions, at times. Our clients rely on our vast experience and capabilities to deliver more than 2,000 tons of food and water every month to the people working for the peacekeeping missions. With our robust supply chain and fully equipped warehouses, we are able to maintain the continuous delivery of those services. We are also proud to be able to involve a great number of local companies as our suppliers, generating work and contributing to local employment.”