The Clean Products for the Environment (CPE) project launched by the Uganda Biodiversity Fund (UBF) in March 2024 comes as a sustainable solution for plastic disposal in Uganda. With funding from BRIDGE, a RedLAC-CAFÉ initiative administered by the Forever Costa Rica Association (FCRA), the project is introducing eco-friendly bioplastics as an alternative to traditional plastics, reducing plastic pollution in the environment. Through UBF, the CPE project will also undertake initiatives to expand private-sector participation and funding for biodiversity conservation in the country.
The pilot project has already secured USD 120,000 in funding from BRIDGE and partnered with government regulatory agencies like NEMA and UNBS, as well as other plastic manufacturers in Uganda. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Mr. Amanigaruhanga, the UBF Executive Director, announced that they had already signed an MOU with Luuka plastic manufacturers to supply them with polymer for transforming plastic manufacturing processes at their various factories. Polymers are a result of the industrial manufacture of cells from a natural organic substance. These cells are joined together to generate a product that serves as an alternative to plastics.
The CPE project launch event was attended by representatives from, UIRI, NEMA, UNBS, Rena beverages, Jakana Foods Ltd, and Green Wheel Afrika Holdings Limited. They expressed excitement about partnering with UBF. Ms. Meg Hilbert Jaquay, the Managing Director of Jakana Foods LTD, said that the technology had long been requested by their customers, while Ampaire Alex Makumbi of Green Wheel Afrika Holdings Limited believed that bioplastics would address environmental degradation by introducing an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags (kaveera).
Overall, the CPE Project is targeting the production of eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastics, reducing plastic pollution, increasing private-sector funding for biodiversity conservation, and creating a case for bioplastic adoption and awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.
