Ambitions for Greening Solid Waste Management: Perspectives from Urban(ising) Africa

African cities face a 'triple challenge' of rapid population growth, urban expansion, and poor waste management, which threatens urban sustainability and marine ecosystems. The report advocates for a transition from linear 'take–make–dispose' models to a circular economy that prioritises resource efficiency and waste removal. Key recommendations include integrating the informal waste sector, implementing municipal composting, and leveraging regional policy frameworks like Agenda 2063 to foster green entrepreneurialism.

• African cities are struggling with a 'triple challenge' consisting of rapid population growth, urban expansion, and inadequate waste management, which negatively impacts quality of life and urban sustainability.
• Urban population growth in Africa is projected to continue rapidly beyond 2050, with six cities—Cairo, Lagos, Kinshasa, Dar es Salaam, Luanda, and Johannesburg—expected to be among the world's 41 mega-cities by 2030.
• There is a strong link between urban solid waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions, and waste management is considered a critical factor for the delivery of other municipal services like health, education, and transport.
• Plastic waste is a critical issue; the UN estimates that if current practices persist, plastic waste will outweigh fish in the global ocean by 2050. African cities are significant consumers of single-use plastics, often imported from China and Indonesia.
• The circular economy offers a way for lower-income countries to 'leapfrog' traditional resource-intensive development by using a closed-loop business model that focuses on reusing and recycling materials at their highest value.
• Integrating the informal waste sector can significantly improve municipal efficiency and alleviate poverty. In South Africa, the informal sector recovered up to 90% of recyclable paper and packaging before it reached landfills in 2014, saving local governments between ZAR 37.302 million and ZAR 748 million in landfill space.
• Municipal composting is identified as a cost-effective waste diversion strategy for low-income countries, as it is significantly cheaper than landfill disposal and improves soil fertility and carbon absorption.
• Regional frameworks such as the AU's Agenda 2063 and various regional seas conventions (Barcelona, Abidjan, and Nairobi) provide a policy basis for developing the African Blue and Green economies and addressing marine litter.

APA

Moore, L. (2019). Ambitions for Greening Solid Waste Management: Perspectives from Urban(ising) Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Policy-Insights-69-moore.pdf

Chicago

Moore, Luke. Ambitions for Greening Solid Waste Management: Perspectives from Urban(ising) Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2019. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Policy-Insights-69-moore.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moore |first1=Luke |title=Ambitions for Greening Solid Waste Management: Perspectives from Urban(ising) Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=June 2019 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Policy-Insights-69-moore.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moore2019ambitions, author = {Moore, Luke}, title = {{Ambitions for Greening Solid Waste Management: Perspectives from Urban(ising) Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Policy-Insights-69-moore.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }