What is NAWA Green Partner Programme?

In early 2019, NAWA was proud to announce the brand new NAWA Green Partners Program to collaborate with and spotlight local businesses making extra efforts to reduce Ghana’s pollution.

All throughout the year, NAWA has been seeking to partner with up local businesses who demonstrate extra efforts

1. to reduce plastic and other waste, 
2. to educate and engage their customers and/or employees about environmental protection, and/or 
3. to sponsor NGOs who are working actively to protect Ghana’s environment.

This program was the brainchild of NAWA’s Green Corps, a Special Interest Group launched at the 2018/19 Welcome Brunch, that gathers around 15 regular members dedicated to support a wide range of green projects (beach clean-ups, education projects, reducing plastic bag use, etc.) 

The 2019 NAWA Ghana Green Partner window decal was designed for prominent display in the front windows of stores, restaurants and other business partners to advertise their premier partnership with NAWA. NAWA is glad to feature all ou Green Partners who inspire all of us to take steps to reduce plastic and waste in our everyday lives.

Who can become a NAWA Green Partner?

Any business that demonstrates extra efforts to help reduce Ghana’s plastic pollution can become a NAWA Green Partner. No matter what type of business, we all have a part to play in reducing waste, educating the general public, and supporting local communities in sanitation and greening projects. We defined the 3 criteria for NAWA Green Partners as

• Reduction,
• Engagement, 
• and Sponsorship.  

To become a NAWA Green Partner, businesses need to demonstrate initiatives they undertake in at least two of the following three areas:

1) Reduction of Waste

We all need to take steps to reduce single-use plastic and other waste. 

Here are some examples of actions:

• Charge a bag fee to dissuade customers from taking a plastic bag. 

• Offer a discount or dedicated express checkout queue for customers who bring their own bags.  

• Offer free or inexpensive reusable shopping bags at checkout counters to encourage customers to make the switch.  

• Stop offering plastic straws to customers. As an alternative, provide paper straws.  Make straws available on request only.

• Stop offering plastic cutlery or charge a fee for customers who request it for take-away.

• Charge a deposit on reusable containers to be refunded when customers return containers.

• Offer products for sale from bulk dispenser for customers to fill their own reusable containers.

• Establish and maintain composting bins.

• Establish a network to donate leftover food to those in need.

• Switch from plastic to paper bags and take-away containers.

• Offer hygienic water bottle re-filling stations so guests can re-fill reusable bottles, rather than purchasing single-use plastic water bottles.

• Offer shampoo/conditioner/lotion/soap in (wall-mounted) bulk dispensers rather than individual plastic bottles or wrapped bars.

• Offer green products such as water filters, BPA-free reusable water bottles, or organic foods.

• Offer products for sale in bulk or reusable containers.

• Other efforts may also qualify…

Advance marketing (such as posters) will prepare customers to embrace these practices.

2) Engagement

This is educating or engaging customers and/or employees to think about waste reduction in everyday life.  

Example of how to engage people:

• Posters in grocery stores, reminding customers to bring their own reusable bags.

• Table tents/placards on restaurant tables, informing customers that plastic straws are not offered because the restaurant is helping to protect the environment.

• Posters encouraging customers to bring their own reusable take-away containers.

• Making recycling bins available to customers (such as an Environment360 bin in the parking lot for plastic and paper).

• Recycling in-house and training employees how to do so.

• Training employees to ask customers if they need a bag, to not offer a straw unless requested, and/or to recycle properly.

• Educating and engaging the public through general concept posters or volunteer tables set up to explain to customers why green efforts are important. These can become powerful marketing tools at the same time.  

3) Sponsorship

NAWA Green Corps plans to coordinate beach cleanups and similar projects in conjunction with educating schoolchildren about using less plastic and not littering.  

NAWA Green Partners can support these efforts by:

• Covering the cost of hauling away collected waste.  

• Covering the expense of transporting participating children and feeding them snacks.  

• In-kind donations of food, waste hauling services or transportation services for schoolkids.

• Cash donations.

• Other donations toward green projects or charities count as sponsorship by a NAWA Green Partner.