Pascal won our 2025 Global Sustainability Award for his impressive people-powered recycling initiative, which has cut waste going to landfill in his community by a remarkable 80%.
Appalled by the piles of plastic waste in his community in Mabira, Uganda, 19-year-old Pascal set about solving the problem. Drawing on the entrepreneurship skills he gained on the Enterprise Challenge programme, Pascal started collecting and recycling plastic bottles from households, roadsides and markets, transforming them into products such as flower bowls, water fountains and dustbins for sale.
But alongside launching his own upcycling business, Pascal has kickstarted an even more impressive transformation, spearheading a local community eco-movement.
The launch of a leader
“I decided to join the programme after seeing the devastating impact of plastic waste in the environment,” Pascal recalls. “The Enterprise Challenge programme empowered me to turn my idea into reality. I have learned to lead, innovate and make a difference.”
In a context where formal jobs are in short supply and many young people will need to work for themselves, Enterprise Challenge, delivered in Uganda through our partner the Asante Africa Foundation, aims to inspire and upskill the next generation of entrepreneurs, ensuring that they have the real-world skills and knowledge they will need to succeed.
Pascal explains that he has drawn heavily on the skills he gained on the programme, not only in his own fledgeling business, but also in his efforts to spur others into action. These have seen him train students in local schools in sustainable practices, and work with local councils, health departments and community volunteers to raise awareness of plastic pollution and the urgent need to clean up their community.
Kickstarting a community movement
Pascal’s efforts have galvanised strong local support. Half of his community now actively participate in local clean-up and recycling activities, recycling 300kg of plastic waste every month. Assuming that the average plastic bottle only weighs around ten grams, this equates to clearing many thousands of bottles every month.
“I am passionate about protecting the environment,” Pascal explains. “My initiative helps reduce waste, promote recycling and inspire sustainable practice…It’s inspiring to see the community come together.”
In engaging and enthusing his neighbours, from school students to council leaders, Pascal explains that he has drawn heavily on the leadership, project planning, problem solving and teamwork skills that he honed during Enterprise Challenge. “These skills helped me identify a challenge around my community, come up with a solution, design and implement this initiative,” he says.
Pascal was recognized for his remarkable achievements with the King’s Trust Global Sustainability Award. The award was presented to him by Eric Collins, CEO of Impact X, and Veronica Duarte, People and HR Advisor at Octopus Energy, at the 2025 King’s Trust Awards at London’s Southbank Centre.