Launched in June 2024 and funded by the French Embassy in Senegal's Fonds Équipe France, the SUNU Plastic Odyssey project is now drawing to a close. Here is a look back at what we have built, and a look ahead at what we will continue to build together.
The Challenge: Proving the Viability of a Decentralized Industry
When SUNU PO launched, the premise was simple yet ambitious: to build a decentralized, inclusive plastic recycling industry deeply rooted in Senegal's local communities and driven by local entrepreneurs. Not just a showcase, but a real economic model.
Two years later, the proof is in the results.
4 units are operational: in Dakar, Saint-Louis, Kédougou, and Kidira. 4 others are currently being deployed: in Mbeubeuss, Palmarin, Kaolack, and Touba. Each unit is led by a local entrepreneur trained, equipped, and supported by Plastic Odyssey.
Training: 1,800 People, a MOOC, and a FabLab
An industry can only thrive if the right skills are in place. SUNU PO has trained 1,800 people in recycling professions and supported 14 entrepreneurs from A to Z: from drafting business plans to starting up the machinery.
To go further and faster, a MOOC featuring 96 chapters and 17 videos was developed. Available in French, Wolof, and English, it is an open-source resource designed to outlast the project itself.
In parallel, a FabLab was inaugurated at the École Polytechnique de Thiès (EPT), equipped with a shredder, an extruder, a plastic carpentry workshop, and solar panels. Three hackathons have mobilized engineering students around concrete recycling challenges.
Awareness: 35,000 People, 27 Schools, 24 Events
Transforming an industry also means shifting perspectives. SUNU PO has reached 35,000 people through 24 events organized alongside dedicated partners.
The Apprentis Explorateurs (Apprentice Explorers) program engaged 27 schools, ensuring that the younger generation understands today that plastic pollution is not inevitable, but rather a challenge that demands solutions.
"This project has demonstrated that a decentralized, inclusive recycling industry, deeply rooted in Senegal's regions, is entirely possible."
Project Closing at the Ministry of National Education
On June 4, 2026, the SUNU Plastic Odyssey project was officially closed at the Ministry of National Education, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Senegal and representatives from four ministries: National Education; Environment; Microfinance and Social and Solidarity Economy; and Urban Planning and Territorial Communities. The Institut Joliba and the École Polytechnique de Thiès rounded out an institutional gathering rarely seen for a project of this kind.
This level of representation speaks volumes: SUNU PO is not perceived as just another cooperation project. It is recognized as a model—decentralized, regionally anchored, and driven by local actors—that addresses challenges intersecting multiple public policies at once: employment, environment, education, and local development.
The Apprentis Explorateurs program received special attention during this event.
"The Apprentice Explorers program is exactly the type of initiative we want to see integrated into the Senegalese curricula. It shapes mindful citizens who are capable of taking action for their environment from a very young age." Secretary General of the Ministry of National Education
This is Only the Beginning
SUNU PO is closing a funding chapter, but it is not closing down the industry. The units are running. The entrepreneurs are in business. The MOOC remains accessible. The FabLab is training tomorrow's engineers. The CNQP certifications are in place.
Mbolo mooy doolé. Unity is strength. What has been built together now belongs to the local community.
A heartfelt thank you to the French Embassy in Senegal, the Institut Joliba, the École Polytechnique de Thiès, and all the partners who made this adventure possible.