Banyan Global is a subcontractor to Chemonics International on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Recycling in Jordan Activity. The Activity works with private recycling firms, the commercial sector, and the Government of Jordan to increase commercial sector usage of recycling services in Amman, Jordan. The Activity aims to expand and improve private sector-led recycling services, generate greater demand for and usage of recycling services within the Amman commercial sector, and increase local and national government support for solid waste management.

Banyan Global leads Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) integration across all three Activity components. We ensure that the project’s interventions are inclusive and equitable, with a focus on marginalized groups such as women, informal waste pickers, people with disabilities, youth, and refugees.

In late 2020, Banyan Global conducted a gender analysis to uncover the roles and challenges faced by vulnerable groups within Jordan’s recycling market system. This analysis provided critical insights into how these groups interact with the recycling value chain and identified key opportunities to enhance their participation. Building on these findings, we developed a comprehensive GESI action plan with targeted recommendations for short-, medium-, and long-term interventions to promote equitable opportunities for all.

Our ongoing efforts include a range of GESI activities:

• GESI Training: We’ve delivered specialized training to project staff and partners, empowering them to seamlessly integrate GESI considerations throughout all project components and activities.
• Outreach and Engagement: We’ve significantly expanded outreach to marginalized populations, including female and male youth, ethnic minorities, non-Jordanians, refugees, and persons with disabilities. Our efforts have included providing certification training to over 1,500 individuals from these groups, enhancing their skills and opportunities within the informal waste management sector.
• Inclusive Business Practices: As part of a broader growth strategy training program, we’ve guided over 50 small and growing businesses in adopting non-discriminatory and inclusive Human Resource practices, ensuring a more equitable workplace environment.
• High-Profile Conferences: Banyan Global has successfully integrated GESI-responsive design and participation into two major Amman Recycling Conference & Exhibition events, held in March 2023 and June 2024. These events, organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the Greater Amman Municipality, spotlighted the critical role of inclusivity in advancing Jordan’s recycling industry.

Together with our partners, Banyan Global is driving meaningful change in Jordan’s recycling sector—fostering a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future for all.