Factsheet: Greater Kampala PET Plastic Recycling Partnership

The Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) is experiencing rapid growth and urbanisation. As the population and economy of GKMA has grown, so has the waste generated. The amount of solid waste generated now overwhelms the capacity of the urban authorities to collect and dispose of it. About 40% of the waste created in Kampala is collected and delivered to designated landfills every month. The remaining uncollected waste is normally dumped in unauthorized sites, burnt on roadsides or in clearings, or washed into storm water channels that flow into the wetlands and Lake Victoria. One of the most dominant waste fractions in GKMA is plastic waste. Its inadequate management contributes to the degradation of the city’s land, wetlands, water and air. Plastic waste, if not properly disposed of, causes blockage of the limited drainage system and natural drainage canals, thereby contributing to the growing flooding problems in the city.