Studies indicate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. To sustainably counter the negative impacts of plastic on our environment and health, action is needed on all levels, with major improvements to waste management and recycling practices being pivotal to counter the current trends.
In Addis Ababa, plastic accounts for 15% of the total waste. PET, used mainly for water and soda bottles, makes up 41% of the total plastic waste generated in the city. Plastic pollution is a common problem in the city, and drainage channels are often clogged with plastic, including many PET bottles, increasing the risk for floodings.
Collected PET plastic at one of the collector association’s working stations, near the new stadium in Addis Ababa Copyright: GIZ
Improving the collection and recycling of used plastics can contribute to alleviating plastic pollution in the city. However, many factors impede the efficiency of plastic collection and recycling. Among them are high transportation costs of unbaled plastics, a lack of space for waste collectors to sort already collected waste, as well as no access to electricity, which would allow collectors to scale up their operations by using baling machines.
Manual baling machines to improve PET collection
To counter these challenges, NatuReS has partnered up with Irish Aid and the Addis Ababa Solid Waste Management Agency (SWMA) on a project to design and pilot manual baling machines. The aim is to improve PET collection. Baling PET significantly lowers the costs to transport plastic to processors. At the same time, waste collectors receive a 40% premium when selling baled PET. The manual baling machine, which is cheaper to procure and operate than its electric counterpart, will incentivize waste collectors to collect more PET, contributing to cleaner streets while creating additional employment opportunities in the plastic value chain.
Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Dr. Eshetu Lemma, General Manager of the Addis Ababa Solid Waste Management Agency, and James Njeru, NatuReS Country Coordinator Ethiopia (from left to right) Copyright: GIZ
WASH Forum in Lusaka’s George Compound hosted by LuWSI and Village Water Zambia
It is estimated that over 70% of people living in informal settlements in Lusaka continue to be disenfranchised when it comes to access to adequate WASH and solid waste management services. Although various interventions to tackle this problem have been implemented, the importance of cooperation within communities and with duty bearers in taking responsibility for these services cannot be underscored. Maintenance, appropriate use and awareness of WASH and solid waste services are key to improve the situation in the long run. In short, communities must develop social accountability for such services. This fosters good governance and ultimately improves WASH services for all.
Access to safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene services is important for the wellbeing of communities. Copyright: GIZ/Jesper Anhede
To promote this cooperation, a virtual Water Sanitation and Hygiene Forum for social accountability took place on July 29th. The forum was hosted by the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI) secretariat, in collaboration with Village Water Zambia (VWZ), a non-governmental organization operating in Zambia and member of LuWSI. VWZ strives to improve access to WASH services in George compound in Lusaka’s Matero Constituency, one of the city’s biggest informal settlements.
WASH Forum for social accountability in Lusaka’s George Compound
The purpose of the forum was twofold: First, to appraise issues around WASH services, solid waste management and drainage problems in George Compound. And second, to get insights into plans for improving the WASH status quo in George from the Members of Parliaments’ (MP) perspective. The forum culminated in a social contract, which was ratified by each of the prospective MPs as well as the people of George compound. In the contract, they assure their commitment to address these issues and implement the discussed plans, once they should be elected in the upcoming general elections.
As NatuReS, we believe in the power of partnership and collaboration for economic growth and mutual accountability to strengthen governance and sustain the wellbeing of vulnerable communities such as in Lusaka’s George Compound.
Income diversification for economic wellbeing and ecosystem preservation
No single actor can improve water security on its own. While water shortages, flooding or degrading water quality affect everyone, solutions can only stem from joint action. Also, water security must envision not only the water source itself, but the whole ecosystem within a catchment. Cardinal to any solution is the role women play in the stewardship of water and other natural resources. This is because women not only take care of the water supply at their homes, do the cooking or the laundry. They are also strongly involved in economic activities like farming or production.
Water stewardship beyond water supply and sanitation
The Chambeshi Water Security Partnership promotes the participation of women in water stewardship further than water supply and sanitation in their homes. Instead, the partnership supports women in participating more strongly in the governing of their natural resources. It enables them to progress in diverse economic activities such as beekeeping, aquaculture, agriculture, tree planting and selling seedlings.
Beekeeping instead of charcoal production
Diversified income opportunities make them less dependent on traditional practices like charcoal production, which damages the forest and the whole ecosystem, thereby affecting water quality and quantity in the catchment. Charcoal production, by damaging the ecosystem on which people make a living in the catchment, would also not sustainably generate income for the women in the long run.
Sara Chisha and Joan Sampa set up a beehive in a forest within the Chambeshi Catchment. Copyright: GIZ
Instead, Sara Chisha and Joan Sampa are now setting up beehives in the forest. Selling honey is a new economic activity for them as they previously made a living producing charcoal. By finding alternative sources of income that preserve the health of the forest, also their economic wellbeing is safeguarded.
Sarah and Joan haven’t achieved this alone. Joint action from various actors of the Chambeshi Water Security Partnership, supported by NatuReS, set the scene for this change process. Activities carried out by the partnership include trainings of community members on beekeeping, financing of beekeeping equipment and the establishment of the Twatampako Women’s Club, created to support women in commercializing their products.
Women maintaining furrows of the Milundu stream, which are used for the irrigation of various crops that sustain the people of Lukupa Village. The stream passes through three villages with a total population of 3908 inhabitants. Copyright: GIZ
These activities highlight that women’s management of natural resources goes far beyond collection and use of water at their homes, revealing them as agents of change in the governance and protection of natural resources.
A baseline study conducted under the GKMA PET Plastic Recycling Partnership
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic pollution is on the rise in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA), Uganda’s most populated area. GKMA has experienced rapid urbanisation and population growth, as well as fast economic development, over the last 35 years. As one consequence of this development, PET is used in increasing quantities, largely in packaging of food and beverages.
This generates a significant amount of plastic waste and pollution in Greater Kampala and environs. Poor consumer behaviour such as littering and the creation of illegal dumpsites further accelerate pollution. This results not only in increasing amounts of PET plastic in the environment, but has also negative impacts like degradation of landscapes and blockage of urban canals and rivers. Increased risk of flooding and the emergence of waterborne diseases in stagnant waters are ultimate consequences.
PET plastic waste accumulating in a drainage channel in GKMA Copyright: NatuReS Uganda
Although PET plastic pollution in GKMA being a very visible problem, it has previously never been quantified. The exact amount of PET plastic waste generated, collected, recycled, disposed in landfills, and leaked into the environment in GKMA has so far not been examined. However, such information is crucial for better planning and management of PET plastic waste.
To close this knowledge gap, the GKMA PET plastic waste recycling partnership conducted a baseline study on PET plastic waste flows in GKMA. The study identifies key stakeholders in the PET recycling value chain and compiles the relevant policies and legislations that affect plastic waste management in GKMA. Furthermore, it highlights the main challenges and opportunities for the management of PET waste in GKMA. The findings helped the partners to make informed decisions on priority intervention areas under the partnership. They also suggested practical mechanisms to improve management of this waste stream across the PET plastics recycling value chain.
Key findings on the PET waste flow
8.6 million pieces of pre-form PET bottles are imported into Uganda per day, of which 40% (3.4 million pieces) are commercialized in GKMA every day. This equals an amount of 62.9 tons/day.
57% of the PET plastic waste this generates is collected.
Out of this, 17% ends up at gazetted disposal site(s),
35% is transported to recovery facilities, where it is processed for exportation, while
5% is leaked during collection and transportation services.
43% of all PET waste is NOT collected. This corresponds to 9.948 tons of uncollected plastic per year. This faction may end up in drains, land and water bodies.
PET waste flows in GKMA visualized using a Sankey diagram
The informal sector plays a crucial role in recovering PET materials for recycling. In fact, informal waste collectors recover all the PET waste, of which 57% is delivered to formal recyclers, who in turn process it as preparation for exportation.
There is only limited capacity to make new products from PET waste either within Uganda or neighbouring countries in East Africa. Therefore, once the formal recyclers process the PET waste into small flakes, they are packaged and exported to various countries, among which the US, India and Indonesia, for further processing.
PET bottles are collected and bundled for further recylcling. Yet, there is only limited capacity to make new products from PET waste in Uganda. Copyright: NatuReS Uganda
Every month, up to 660 tons of flakes PET waste, worth USD 232.654 (USD 2.8 million per year), are exported from GKMA to the international market. This number underlines the importance of the recycling sector for the economy in GKMA and the potential it could unfold if further processing and up-cycling was to be established in the country
