Supporting Underprivileged women and recycling / Dana Mosora

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danamosora/

How is Dana and her team supporting underprivileged women and recycling? 
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Transcript

Cory Connors: 0:31

Welcome to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors. Today's guest is Dana Masura. She is the founder of Dana Masura Consulting. How are you? Very

Dana Mosora: 0:41

good. Thank you. How are you, Corey? Very nice seeing

Cory Connors: 0:43

you again. Good to see you again. like you, we were just talking about, we saw each other in Europe recently. In Amsterdam at Packaging Europe's sustainable packaging event. That was incredible. But let's talk about you. Let's talk about your background. How did you get into this space?

Dana Mosora: 1:02

Well, are you asking about the space of packaging or of sustainability or of design? Sustainability, Yeah. Yeah. Well, inadvertently If you work in Europe, because this is where I was when it all started, and, you work somehow in packaging. At the time I was with the DAO Poly business, you just cannot avoid, focusing on what, the big challenge. Which is sustainability of plastic packaging. We say very concrete definition of sustainability, which is the link directly with circular economy. and then, we. Focus on circular economy in Europe, mostly because the legislation and the regulators are really driving us into the direction, but then I discovered that in other parts of the world, circular economy has also a meaning, and it's very important for the future of packaging. Yeah, well

Cory Connors: 2:03

said. Very true. So what kinds of things do you and the people at your consultancy help people and companies do?

Dana Mosora: 2:13

So, in Europe, my company, which is me, basically. I'm focusing on my work. We say consortium, C flex, which stands for circular economy for flexible packaging. there's a consortium of over 180 companies from the entire value chain of flexible packaging. And we were really put together with a very concrete. A goal, which was to, identify the issues, the challenges, in making flexible packaging initially recyclable, but in general, compliant with the idea of super economy, and then, drive the solutions to implementation. So, that's what we do. and we are very, all very passionate about, and I'm finding that when you work in packaging, moreover, when you work in plastic packaging or flexible packaging, and when you get into circular economy, you become passionate. And many people like me, we are looking at our work as. Almost a way of living beyond being just a job.

Cory Connors: 3:21

I love that. That's exactly right. We are passionate individuals who are guided by this, drive to make the world a better place and to help any way we can, this is very excellent, insight information. I appreciate it. So you a company will come to you and they will say, Hey, we're using flexible packaging materials. can you guide us and how to, encourage recycling of these? Or can you speak to that a little

Dana Mosora: 3:50

bit more? Yeah, so, as a consultant, I'm really dedicating my work in the teamwork, which we do together in C flex and yes, it is all about, All the different companies, which are engaged in a way or another 1 into flexible packaging, either they are producers of raw materials or converters who take raw materials and make a packaging or brand owners who fill the packaging and put it on the market, or they can be technology providers. Equipment providers can be associations. For the value chain. basically, what we do is we really look at the challenges and, start tackling these challenging challenges with a systemic approach and thinking how together we can address these challenges in the way which individual companies could not do it. So some of the things which we did at C flex and again, as a result of. The work of consultants with the stakeholder companies are things like the design guidelines for a circular economy or, things like, putting together a new innovative concept of technologies, which deliver quality recycling. or we run a lot of studies, which provided the value chain and the industry altogether in Europe with a type of. Data, which this industry didn't have data, which empower companies or organizations like the producer responsibility organizations to take decisions in a way, which is solid, robust and fact based, decisions like. What's the right infrastructure to invest on? How much capacity do we need? How should we complement the different technologies to deliver on certain goals? How can you make such a decision, a heavy decision if you don't have the facts of the data? So these are the kind of things which we make available. And which we also leverage into things like, as I mentioned, the design guidelines for a super economy, very important tool for everyone who design packaging today in Europe or anywhere else to, design it from the beginning with the end of life in mind. Designing from the beginning is such a way that it optimizes the environment, impact on the environment.

Cory Connors: 6:25

Right. Yes, that's it. we must think about these things, with the end of life in mind. That's exactly right. the circular nature of this material is possible. It's not easy. And we're, we have a long ways to go. but, I totally agree with you. that's, it's the future. We must be a circular economy for all of these packaging materials. So I also wanted to talk about your work in Africa. you're, a foundation. Can you speak to the ASASE foundation that you're the director

Dana Mosora: 6:57

of as well? Yes. So that's the name of the foundation is Asase. Okay. Ghana. And in the Ghanaian local language, Asase means Mother Earth. Oh, wow. We came up with this name because the whole idea is to respect the environment. And the mission is to help women from underprivileged communities. Which are, in the meantime, at the seashore because Accra where we're based, it's a big city, on the ocean, basically. so help women from these underprivileged communities become successful entrepreneurs. In plastic collection and recycling, with a very important specificity, which is, by helping them create social enterprises, and in these communities. And the sense of social enterprise is that they learn how to give back to the community. So the foundation is helping with seed money to put together a recycling collection and recycling for plastic, which is deviated from litter, which eventually we get to ocean and, by getting the support, economy. They also get the responsibility to give back to the community in investing part of the profit for the benefit of the community. So we start like this with a very clear idea of in what would be the mission and the scope, but with very modest ambitions, because. resting humble. What did I know when I started? Not much. It was somebody retiring from Dow Chemical and deciding to do something good. And I found that there's a place which is attracting me and I can find wonderful people to work with, but I didn't think high. Today. Our foundation has already, three operations in three communities in Accra. We got to that level. Each operation is sized for 2000 tons of plastic waste collected. Put into recycling in our plants. So we also have, two, three plants building the forest now. and we did it because we partnered with people who believed in us. I started it with money from Dow, my late employer from Dow Impact Fund. But then I got, support from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Okay, which had me scale up the 1st plant and right now we are reaching the end of a 3 years grant co financed by the European Union and the alliance to end plastic waste. And, I'm very happy about it because this provided us with the possibility to experience the private public partnership, because money are really private and public, with very different approaches, but both towards the end, the same goal of helping initiatives like this. to make an impact.

Cory Connors: 10:57

That's incredible. Well done. That's a huge feat. And, I'm amazed to see how you're helping people live better lives and help the planet. That's incredible. Can you talk to a little bit about the, the types of materials? I know it's plastic, but what kinds of plastic are they generally collecting and able to recycle there?

Dana Mosora: 11:21

Yes. So, it's pretty much based on the people, behaviors and living, and specifics. In Ghana, a lot of access, in general, the access to water, it's mostly through water sachet, polyethylene flexible packaging. half a liter, which anyone can afford to buy and anyone would need at least two, if not three sachets per day. There is no any kind of, waste collection. there is no disposal. There are no bins anywhere. So everyone, it's just dropping on the street. So we are focusing on recycling the sachets. But not only because there is also. I was from the beginning interested in polyethylene and polypropylene so everything which is polyolefins for a very simple reason. I realized that the. Access to market, so the capital to start a recycling plant for polyolefin would be accessible compared to building a plan for recycling polyethyl, polypropylene, sorry, PET, the PET bottles. So I made the choice to focus on polyolefins, and make sure that everything is recycled in Ghana, so we close the loop of plastic packaging in Ghana. So we don't have only sachet, we also have some rigids. first of all, there is less, used by people and what it's used. It's being recycled because it has a known value. We did a lot of work educating people to understand the value of flexible polyethylene and understand that it's not only important that they get. clean water to drink, but also they can catch the value of the sachet after it's used. So, that's why we do, obviously, recycling, collection recycling, but we also do a lot of education, including education of children at school, such as they understand what means recycling plastics. That's

Cory Connors: 13:34

awesome. Wow, really good job. it's a, it's sad to hear that there's no bins that they just don't, it's not even an option for people to, throw the trash away and, or recycle it in their streets or in their homes. Gosh, that's fascinating to hear. so what kinds of items would they sell in the rigid plastic? what would be an kind of an everyday item sold there?

Dana Mosora: 14:04

In rigid plastic, if you stay in the area of polyolefins, from, the hard polyethylene, they are the containers for cooking oil. These are big containers. So they always buy like a big container. This is very, the yellow, containers are, very visible. And then in polypropylene, it's a lot of, household items, balls, baskets, all kinds of really household things. And also chairs and furniture. And in polyethylene PET, obviously the PET bottles, it's just that those are more expensive, so not that many people buy the water in the PET bottles.

Cory Connors: 14:53

Oh, okay. Interesting. So they're buying it maybe in a sachet, to, to drink straight out of the bag. Really? Wow. Yes. Interesting. do you have plans to open more facilities and expand?

Dana Mosora: 15:09

Yes. So, I said that when I started I was humble and I thought, I would be happy if I can show a model. I think we should use a model, we showed how you can create these operations, what would be the ideal size. To fit a community and remain something which it's meaningful for a community as workplace as possibilities for personal development and create jobs for women as well in this industry. And now, really, we need a point where the desire is to get financing to scale up the model. I also Probably because my entire life I worked in corporations. So I, I'm convinced that whatever you do, it has to have a business sense. It has to be business case. Otherwise, it is not going to work. And, I think we all realize that no matter how much good you want to do, you can't count on grants and philanthropic support. That's not a solution. This can make people feel good. But that's not how you create solutions, which are truly scalable and can make an impact and can have a meaning in the whole problematic of plastics today. So, this is where I am today. And I look at, how difficult it is, especially when you have initiatives in the global South. to, get access to money, in a fair way. Yeah. money exists. We all know that , it's a lot of claim it is just that, all the conditions have to be, safe enough. such as investor, investors put the money. I do believe that, the global South, including Ghana, need, a new way of looking into financing because we spoke about, right? There are no beans, there is no, an established, infrastructure to collect the waste, not plastic waste, right? This has to be created. If we want to harvest the growth opportunities. Which certainly will come from the global south, not from the north. We know it, then we need to really take care of the waste issue. And these requires investment in infrastructure and unless there is investment in infrastructure. How can you just focus on 1 material plastic? So that's probably 1 of the biggest problems on the table. These days, when we look at what's next

Cory Connors: 17:55

exactly. Yeah, and how can we all work together to solve this issue? How can we all make it mutually beneficial, right? Are your, collectors or the staff that you're working with, are they collecting it mostly off the street or do you have some kind of a system in a river or both?

Dana Mosora: 18:17

no, from the street, there is not yet, significant, collection, from, cleaning the rivers. There are some emerging small projects, but nothing significant. It's mostly from this. we are also piloting a concept, which is, community collection centers, which would mean that people come and sell it. Oh, yes. and again, we are observing, exactly the same, thing I was talking about. You need to finance it. Yep. Right. In Europe or in North America. There are the taxes which pay for the collection. Nobody is questioning. Why is the collection subsidized by taxes? Right? Well, Ghana or in general in the south, subsidy doesn't exist. So in my project, I need to cover all the costs. It's not sustainable, right? So again, subsidies, the intervention of the government to put this in place. Global intervention to finance the huge, cost of the infrastructure are the things which. There are on the table, it's 1 of the key topics being discussed in the negotiations for the global treaty on plastic, as we know, but it's not easy. Yes,

Cory Connors: 19:40

here in Oregon, where I'm from in the US, we have a bottle deposit for our recycling and people collect the cans and bottles and they bring them back to the store and they get their 10 cents per container and it's been very successful. is that something that you think might be a value in these areas?

Dana Mosora: 20:06

Yeah, well, you see what I was saying about the collection centers we are experiencing in the communities, it is concept, right? So people come, it's their packaging from home and they give it to us and they get money paid on kilogram. It is, but, the deposit systems cost money and are subsidized by the industry. So, again, everything gets back into, it will cost. Right. let's face it, we look at the big problems in Europe or in general in the global north to be addressed, like building the capacity and chemical recycling by changing the way mechanical recycling is done into more quality recycling. Technology is there. You just need to put the money to invest.

Cory Connors: 20:59

Yes, and it's going to take, it's going to take all of us. It's going to take consumers. It's going to take, companies. It's going to take the government. are you getting support from the local government there where you've set these up?

Dana Mosora: 21:13

Yes, in Ghana, it's one of the reasons for which I, because I was looking at a few countries and I chose Ghana, and indeed ever since the government is very engaged. then I was the second country after Indonesia to sign up to the global, plastic action partnership. and, the government is sponsoring a broad project, which is, driving the plastic, plastic recycling effort. it is, but again. The government doesn't have money in Ghana.

Cory Connors: 21:49

Yeah, and I, that's, right, right. They have good intentions, right? Yeah, excellent. That's it. Well, I'm very impressed with what you're doing. Nice job. Keep it up. well done. how could other people be of assistance to you? Do you, are you looking for donations? Are you looking for

Dana Mosora: 22:10

partners? at this point, no, I don't look for donations because I think we, it's time for us to grow out of grants and I want our next stage to become investment money, because if we can't do it, then. It means it's not a scalable model. However, everyone with a will and the know how who is willing to give, give time, give advice. We need support in so many ways. Somebody who would come for a week or a month to work with us. Could help my team get the necessary know how to do planning, upgrade the tools, do specific things like improve the water treatment installation, whatever knowledge which exists in the area of plastic collection and recycling, which someone is willing to share, we're taking it and, we would be very grateful. Many people helped us, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste gave us. immense access to expertise, which made a huge difference. And, each time when somebody tells me, how can I help? I'm like, let's talk about many ideas. And you'll be,

Cory Connors: 23:27

that's great. Well, and that it does take a diverse thought process, right? We have to think about this in many different ways. Well, we'll said well done. So how do people get in touch with you if they're interested in investing or partnering

Dana Mosora: 23:43

on our website as I say, j hash. Dot com. you Google me, Dana Mora, and you find my social media, and, if not, by email D Mora at Dana Mora Consulting Point eu. but we have a blog as well at, way of contacting through the website.

Cory Connors: 24:04

Well, thank you, Dana. This has been really excellent. Anything else you wanted to say before we wrap this up?

Dana Mosora: 24:09

Oh, thank you very much for the opportunity. It's always interesting to answer questions in this area. What I want to say is that I had before starting this work in Africa, 35 years of corporate. career. and I was always thought that I'm happy and successful, but I was never as happy as I am now in Africa. It is the type of work, which is so much more fulfilling that I encourage everyone like me who gets to the retirement age and says, Oh, I feel like I. Can do something to think about this kind of giving job.

Cory Connors: 24:51

Yeah, well said that. What a great way to end it. donating our time donating our resources is so much. so valuable and so important for a happy life. I think, well said. Well, thank you again. We really appreciate your time and your wisdom and keep up the great work.

Dana Mosora: 25:10

Thank you. Thank you very much.