Gladys’ story
Zambian social entrepreneur Gladys Mwamba is using the circular economy to drive powerful social impact. Our Environment, Development and Policy MA gave her the expertise to scale her start-up, Plastic for Change, while driving grassroots sustainability action.
My Sussex experience transformed me as both an entrepreneur and an activist. I met people from all over the world, learned about policies affecting the waste industry and explored the drivers behind social inequality.” Gladys Mwamba
Environment, Development and Policy MA
“I grew up in a community ravaged by plastic pollution. It's incredible how much plastic waste can disrupt daily life – poisoning the air, clogging drainage, and causing floods during the rainy season.
After studying overseas, I returned home to discover the plastic crisis had become impossible to ignore. The system was clearly broken. I started to wonder: how can we trace the plastic we’re collecting? How can we track the people behind the crisis? And with waste-pickers earning less than a dollar a day, how can we pay people fairly for their labour?
I decided to launch my own social enterprise, Plastic for Change, which transforms plastic waste into high-quality recycled raw materials – reducing the need to manufacture new plastic while supporting the local economy. Our work caught the attention of a BBC journalist who helped to raise awareness of our mission, while a UK Aid grant helped us to expand our operations. Before long, we were working with more than 5,000 people across Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Although Plastic for Change was thriving, I knew there was more I needed to learn. A contact suggested I consider applying for a Chevening Scholarship to grow my knowledge and my leadership skills. It was a highly competitive process, but I explained that further study would help me revolutionise plastic recycling within - and beyond - my community. I was overjoyed to be selected on my very first attempt!
I chose Sussex because of its outstanding reputation in Development Studies, and also because it was home to Professor James Fairhead, an expert in environmental anthropology. I’d absorbed so much of Professor Fairhead’s research that I was thrilled at the prospect of learning from him and I feel privileged that he taught me in his final year before retirement. It was a real full-circle moment for me.
My Sussex experience transformed me as both an entrepreneur and an activist. I met people from all over the world, learned about policies affecting the waste industry, and explored the drivers behind social inequality. And with such an incredible ecosystem for entrepreneurship, I also had the tools I needed to continue developing my business thousands of miles from home.
I signed up for workshops, mentoring, incubators and acceleration programmes. I learned how to pitch. And I was incredibly proud to win the prestigious Big Ideas competition and Startup Sussex – experiences which strengthened by skills, my knowledge, and also my self-belief.
Since returning to Zambia, I’ve been excited to put everything I learned into practice, from planning a national plastic recovery campaign to connecting with funders and policymakers. I've always been a passionate person, but Sussex helped me channel that passion into expertise – offering me the platform I needed to launch my dreams.”
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