The Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise LTD (METGE) is a is a 'not for profit' organisation, registered and based in Mbale, Uganda and is supported by the Welsh Government’s, 'Wales for Africa' programme through the Size of Wales
charity (SOW). The purpose of METGE is to manage, support and develop tree growing enterprises in Mount Elgon region in Uganda with the highest environmental and ethical integrity. In October 2019 the programme celebrated the distribution and planting of 10 million trees and it is on course to distribute 25 million trees by 2025 (25/25). METGE produces ~3.2 million tree seedlings each year which are supplied in plastic potting bags made from non-sustainable, fossil fuel derived plastics, including polyethylene. Following the supply and planting of these tree seedlings by beneficiary farmers, there is no defined method of disposing of these used potting bags as they are not recycled or re-used. In order to reduce plastics waste, including material generated from agricultural plastic mulch films which are a major environmental issue in soils across the world including Africa, one of METGE’s priorities is to develop a more sustainable agricultural film wrap to transport and supply its tree seedlings.
Bangor University and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO-Uganda) are collaborating with METGE to develop a more sustainable, biobased film product for packaging of the METGE tree seedlings, which will be produced
from agricultural crop residues generated in Uganda. Valorisation of these types of residues and the commercialisation of biobased products generated from this feedstock is a key focus of the Uganda Governments THIRD NATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NDPIII) 2020/21 – 2024/25.