Opérateur de pré-collecte dans le cadre du projet GEDEC au Togo

GEDEC

In Togo, Entrepreneurs du Monde strengthens private neighbourhood waste collection operators to build viable waste management systems across five municipalities.

  • Adapting to climate change
  • Sustainable agriculture and food safety
  • Togo

Waste management services rooted in local communities

Since 2023, Entrepreneurs du Monde has been operating in Togo as part of the GEDEC project, co-funded by the European Union and led by Expertise France. Across five regional capital municipalities, EdM supports independent pre-collection micro-entrepreneurs and contributes to establishing sustainable solid and liquid waste management systems.

  • 31 pre-collectors supported in their micro-enterprise

  • 8 229 subscribers to the pre-collection service

  • 927 awareness-raising sessions held

In Togo, waste management is a structural challenge

Problématique de la gestion des déchets au Togo

Togo ranks among the least developed countries in terms of human development. Against this backdrop, the rapid growth of urban waste represents a major public health and territorial attractiveness issue. In rural areas, due to a lack of adequate infrastructure, most waste is still burned in the open air. The GEDEC Togo project is part of the decentralisation process, which entrusts municipalities with ownership of waste management and sanitation.

Key contextual figures:

  • 161st out of 193 countries in the Human Development Index
  • 300,000 tonnes of household waste produced every year in Togo
  • 60% of waste burned in rural areas due to lack of alternatives

Building local systems, step by step

A support approach centred on waste collection micro-entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs du Monde strengthens independent neighbourhood pre-collection operators through business structuring support, training, and progressive integration into municipal waste management systems. In 2025, 31 pre-collectors benefit from this support, and 8,229 households subscribe to a regular service.

Tangible results on the ground in 2025. A comprehensive solid and liquid waste management service has been launched in 3 out of 5 municipalities. Ten pilot initiatives have been deployed to test waste reduction, sorting, and recovery across composting, plastics, and metal recycling streams. In total, 11,000 tonnes of solid waste and 3 km³ of liquid waste have been collected.

A governance dynamic taking shape. A national steering committee has been launched to assess the implementation of municipal waste management and sanitation policies. This marks a step forward towards municipal autonomy and the long-term sustainability of services beyond the project’s lifespan.

  • Lancement de la politique communale à Tchaoudjo dans le cadre du projet GEDEC
    Launch of the municipal policy in Tchaoudjo
  • Collecte de déchets par les opérateurs de pré-collecte dans le cadre du projet GEDEC
    Waste collection by pre-collection operators

A service taking shape across municipalities

The collection systems built under GEDEC give thousands of households access to a reliable local service, while creating sustainable operating conditions for the supported operators.

  • 11 000 t of solid waste collected in 2025

  • 8 229 households subscribed to the pre-collection service

Our methodology

As part of the GEDEC Togo project, led by Expertise France, Entrepreneurs du Monde provides direct support to private pre-collection operators, working in close collaboration with municipalities and the other consortium partners (Gret, MATDCC).

  • Entrepreneurs du Monde strengthens the management capacities of independent pre-collectors: business structuring, technical support, monitoring tools, and integration into municipal waste management systems.

  • Awareness sessions are held with local residents to encourage uptake of the service and promote waste sorting and reduction practices at source.

  • EdM works closely with municipalities and project governance bodies to ensure alignment between operator support and local waste management policy directions.

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