(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon's Minister of the Environment, Hélé Pierre, chaired a meeting on April 15 on the establishment of a mixed-capital enterprise dedicated to waste management. The meeting, reported by the state-owned Cameroon Tribune, discussed the capital structure of the new company, to be named the National Waste Exchange, and reviewed its proposed statutes and the timeline for its implementation.

The emerging company, expected to be state-controlled with a relative majority, will also include private businesses from the green economy or companies producing non-biodegradable packaging in its shareholding. A major player such as Boissons du Cameroun, a subsidiary of the French brewing group Castel, will be involved.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that our waste is the resource of tomorrow, as long as we can obtain new raw materials, or at least energy, under satisfactory environmental and health conditions. Today, waste recycling or recovery has become a booming sector, providing both formal and informal employment," said a spokesperson from the Ministry of the Environment, highlighting the project's significance.

Despite the nascent state of its recycling industry, waste management remains a critical issue in Cameroon. According to statistics from the Ministry of the Environment, approximately 600,000 tons of plastic waste are produced annually in the country. This waste, only a tiny fraction of which is recycled, heavily pollutes the soils of major cities, especially in the northern regions.