From a Youth Exchange to a successful and sustainable Business in Zambia

Young People in Zambia & Germany Design Livable Cities,” trainees from Dachser, students from the Terre des Hommes network, and a youth group from Livingstone (Zambia) came together. What moments do you remember most?

Joshua Hofert: The youth exchanges were a truly special experience for the participants, completely transforming many of their perspectives on themselves and the world. Through their collaborative work on sustainability projects, the participants quickly began to challenge their preconceived notions about the other country. Initial uncertainties quickly gave way to interest and openness to new perspectives.

Joshua Hofert: The idea came about during a visit to a small recycling center in Osnabrück. There, the young people saw firsthand how recyclable materials can be collected, sorted, and processed locally in line with the principles of the circular economy. This visit sparked the idea for “Trash4Cash”: The young people were immediately convinced that such a recycling hub could also be established in Livingstone.

Bernhard Simon: At first, however, they had to overcome quite a bit of resistance. The mayor of Livingstone at the time insisted on burning all waste—sorted or unsorted—at the central landfill outside the city. A year later, a new mayor took office in Livingstone, and at the same time, the city was selected for a UNIDO project to promote the circular economy. This finally allowed the young people to put their idea into action. The young people’s entrepreneurial spirit and their determination to create sustainable local solutions to the waste problem have deeply impressed us all.

Bernhard Simon: It all began with a feasibility study to determine the types and volumes of waste generated in Livingstone. Based on this, the business model was developed: Residents of Livingstone collect recyclables—primarily plastic waste—and Trash4Cash purchases them at a price per kilogram. At the recycling hub, the waste is sorted and compressed. In the company’s initial phase, the plastic was then transported to the capital, Lusaka, where it could be sold to businesses that process it into granules for reuse. Trash4Cash generated revenue from these sales.

Joshua Hofert: A key factor for Trash4Cash was its close collaboration with the Livingstone City Council and the Zambian Environmental Authority. We supported Trash4Cash in becoming an official partner of the City of Livingstone in the UNIDO circular economy project by 2025. Since January, Trash4Cash has operated the first large-scale recycling hub equipped with recycling machines. This allows for more efficient on-site processing of recyclable materials. This pays off both ecologically and economically.

Joshua Hofert: Thanks to the numerous eco-clubs established at schools in Livingstone as part of the project, children and young people’s environmental awareness regarding waste management has improved significantly. The waste collectors who sell plastic waste to Trash4Cash in the city’s neighborhoods are now earning a small additional income for their families.

Bernhard Simon: People are realizing that their trash isn’t worthless—in fact, if they handle it the right way, they can actually turn “trash” into “cash.” And most importantly: the young adults at Trash4Cash are no longer unemployed and, as independent entrepreneurs, are generating their own income.

Joshua Hofert: The partnership dates back to the tsunami on Christmas Day 2004. A massive undersea earthquake claimed the lives of some 230,000 people along the coasts of the Indian Ocean. Terre des Hommes immediately received a large number of donations, which made it possible to help millions of homeless children and families. However, donations soon began to dry up for other regions that were not the focus of public attention.

Bernhard Simon: Back then, we approached Terre des Hommes with the intention of providing meaningful and sustainable aid. The recommendation was not to focus our efforts on immediate tsunami relief. Instead, our efforts were initially directed toward the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Viewing aid not as a sprint but as a marathon—that has been the shared philosophy of Terre des Hommes and Dachser ever since.

Bernhard Simon: We share the same values and goals, and we focus on grassroots projects driven by local civil society organizations. In particular, we want young people to have opportunities in life, and we support them in seizing those opportunities. These are the principles that guide our company.

Joshua Hofert: By selecting suitable local partner organizations, we stay closely attuned to the actual needs on the ground and operate with a long-term strategic vision for society. The success of this approach is evident in the many stories of young people who, with our support, have been able to start a new life, finally attend school, receive vocational training, or learn to farm their fields without pesticides and make a healthy living from it.

Bernhard Simon: Partnerships between NGOs and companies must be authentic. Corporate social responsibility must not be limited to public relations purposes, but must be an integral part of the company’s values and culture. The example of Trash4Cash illustrates particularly well how Dachser translates its business expertise, combined with Terre des Hommes’ strong civil society expertise, into a social entrepreneurship project. And in doing so, it brings young people together so they can shape their own futures.