Senegal’s Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition launches Plastic-free YOG in Dakar; becomes model for eco-responsible sports events

Towards plastic-free Youth Olympic Games

In order to promoting environmentally responsible behaviour at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, a project entitled “Plastic-free YOG” was presented on Tuesday 28 July by Senegal’s Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition.

“Making the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games a model for eco-responsible sporting events” by reducing the use of single-use plastics: this is the aim of the “Plastic-Free YOG” project, which seeks to strengthen sustainable waste management by encouraging young people to adopt environmentally friendly behaviours.

A lasting legacy beyond the YOG

The launch was announced a few days after a major public campaign organised to mark the 100-day countdown to the YOG, which involved a plastic waste collection drive along the Dakar coastline.

Among the project’s objectives is to leave a moral legacy after the Games, notably through the involvement of teachers, pupils, young people and women, as well as community organisations and local authorities.

“Our ambition extends beyond the Games themselves. We want the responsible behaviour adopted on this occasion to become part of our culture,” said Aliou Gory Diouf, Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition, during the event.

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Accelerating the reduction of plastic pollution in Senegal

As the first Olympic event to be held on the African continent, the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games provided an opportunity to drive Senegal’s transition towards a circular plastics economy and to make the event a model for the sports events sector.

The programme includes training workshops for teachers and learners involved in the “Jeunesse en Jeux” initiative, co-creation workshops with stakeholders from the hotel and catering sectors, and awareness-raising activities linked to the Olympic Torch Tour. At the same time, educational kits will be distributed and cultural and eco-citizenship activities organised as part of the “Sama Gox Mo Ayé” project.

The designated areas of intervention include the host cities of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the towns and cities along the route of the Olympic Torch Tour, the targeted schools and the communities benefiting from the programme.