How waste incentive initiatives can improve recycling rates in Africa
It's commonly known that an effective way to extend the life of a natural resource is through recycling. Not only does recycling reduce the amount of virgin materials in the production process, but it also reduces waste generation, health risks and the biggest of them all: pollution. However recycling rates remain low and stagnant, with high volumes of material waste still being disposed of in landfills. The commonly stated reason for the stagnant growth of recycling is the lack of incentives for businesses and individuals to separate and return waste materials back into production.
Africa generates 125 million tonnes of municipal solid waste a year. More than 90% of the waste generated is disposed of at uncontrolled dumpsites and landfills and an estimated 70–80% of the material solid waste is recyclable, however, only 4% of that is being recycled.
An incentive-based recycling programme is not a new concept; these programs have been implemented in developed countries like the United States and developing countries like Thailand. Although it is challenging to implement these programmes in developing countries it is not impossible to see success.
How does a recycling incentive program typically work?
Because of the differences in geographic areas, composition of waste and waste streams, the recycling programmes in different regions need different strategic planning for operation and management. And for them to be efficient they need to be implemented in three stages:
The first stage is sorting waste for recycling. Members of the programme sort their recyclable waste into different types of material waste. They must then dispose of the sorted recyclable waste separately in recycle bins that have an “ID” to match with their addresses and account numbers.
The second stage is record keeping. Data on waste collected is documented and tracked. Responsible parties collect recyclables and other types of waste on a regular basis. Special collection services are provided in areas where there is a high waste volume. The amount of recyclable waste collected from each member is recorded. Using a weight-based scheme. The members of the programme are awarded recycled points based on the weight of waste they have recycled. These points are recorded in the recycling programme system.
Finally, members can redeem the rewards. Members on the programme can track the points they have earned through the website, app or call center. Members can then redeem their points at a number of participating business partners.
Who is involved in a recycling incentive programme?
The success of any recycling programme depends on the participation of all stakeholders which is key to achieving sustainable waste management and ultimately developing a better environment in Africa. There are two main groups of stakeholders that are central to the success of a recycling programme namely:
- A. Government Stakeholders: National Government
Support systems from the government are necessary for the success of a recycling incentive programme. Support systems like waste facilities, disposal and marketing must be well established in order to make the waste management operation a success as a whole.
From what we have seen, governments have worked on waste management at some level. They still need to focus more on waste management as one of Africa's critical problems. All plans and processes should be measured and governed in a transparent manner and open to public scrutiny.
B. Legislative System
Although the laws and regulations can be legally enforced on violators, in practice they are very weak. The punishments are very lax and not stringent enough to make people comply. Besides, there are no laws or regulations that specifically regulate the social and health impacts caused by Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) or directly mandate recycling waste.
C. Local Government
The local or municipal authorities have multiple responsibilities linked with several different roles in the waste management system. The authorities act as the middlemen between communities and the central government. These authorities report what has actually happened in the communities to the government; they monitor, assess and evaluate the progress of activities and projects. Consequently, information is distributed throughout the waste management chain and eventually it will act as a factor that supports the effectiveness of the waste management system as a whole.
- Non-government Stakeholders
These include households, the private sector, waste haulers, and waste recyclers.
- Households
It's commonly known that an effective way to extend the life of a natural resource is through recycling. Not only does recycling reduce the amount of virgin materials in the production process, but it also reduces waste generation, health risks and the biggest of them all: pollution. However recycling rates remain low and stagnant, with high volumes of material waste still being disposed of in landfills. The commonly stated reason for the stagnant growth of recycling is the lack of incentives for businesses and individuals to separate and return waste materials back into production.
Africa generates 125 million tonnes of municipal solid waste a year. More than 90% of the waste generated is disposed of at uncontrolled dumpsites and landfills and an estimated 70–80% of the material solid waste is recyclable, however, only 4% of that is being recycled.
An incentive-based recycling programme is not a new concept; these programs have been implemented in developed countries like the United States and developing countries like Thailand. Although it is challenging to implement these programmes in developing countries it is not impossible to see success.
How does a recycling incentive program typically work?
Because of the differences in geographic areas, composition of waste and waste streams, the recycling programmes in different regions need different strategic planning for operation and management. And for them to be efficient they need to be implemented in three stages:
The first stage is sorting waste for recycling. Members of the programme sort their recyclable waste into different types of material waste. They must then dispose of the sorted recyclable waste separately in recycle bins that have an “ID” to match with their addresses and account numbers.
The second stage is record keeping. Data on waste collected is documented and tracked. Responsible parties collect recyclables and other types of waste on a regular basis. Special collection services are provided in areas where there is a high waste volume. The amount of recyclable waste collected from each member is recorded. Using a weight-based scheme. The members of the programme are awarded recycled points based on the weight of waste they have recycled. These points are recorded in the recycling programme system.
Finally, members can redeem the rewards. Members on the programme can track the points they have earned through the website, app or call center. Members can then redeem their points at a number of participating business partners.
Who is involved in a recycling incentive programme?
The success of any recycling programme depends on the participation of all stakeholders which is key to achieving sustainable waste management and ultimately developing a better environment in Africa. There are two main groups of stakeholders that are central to the success of a recycling programme namely:
- A. Government Stakeholders: National Government
Support systems from the government are necessary for the success of a recycling incentive programme. Support systems like waste facilities, disposal and marketing must be well established in order to make the waste management operation a success as a whole.
From what we have seen, governments have worked on waste management at some level. They still need to focus more on waste management as one of Africa's critical problems. All plans and processes should be measured and governed in a transparent manner and open to public scrutiny.
B. Legislative System
Although the laws and regulations can be legally enforced on violators, in practice they are very weak. The punishments are very lax and not stringent enough to make people comply. Besides, there are no laws or regulations that specifically regulate the social and health impacts caused by Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) or directly mandate recycling waste.
C. Local Government
The local or municipal authorities have multiple responsibilities linked with several different roles in the waste management system. The authorities act as the middlemen between communities and the central government. These authorities report what has actually happened in the communities to the government; they monitor, assess and evaluate the progress of activities and projects. Consequently, information is distributed throughout the waste management chain and eventually it will act as a factor that supports the effectiveness of the waste management system as a whole.
- Non-government Stakeholders
These include households, the private sector, waste haulers, and waste recyclers.
- Households
Households, or residents, play the most prominent role in any recycle incentive programmes because they generate waste. The amount of waste depends on how they consume goods and how they discard unwanted goods. If all residents became part of the waste management system, separated waste into types before disposal, and reused some materials, the amount of waste generated in Africa would be considerably reduced.
- Waste Recycler
Partnerships in the recycling programme is an excellent way to recycle materials from the household waste stream. This recyclable waste will go through a remanufacturing process, which is the end of the cradle-to-cradle loop. Not only do waste recyclers get a new source of materials, they also play an important role in the waste management system and significantly reduce the amount of illegal waste dumping, which currently is dumped in landfills or sent to incinerators causing more pollution.
Additionally, manufacturers and distributors are also a part of the waste minimization process. Manufacturers can produce better-designed products by using less materials or using reusable or recycled packaging.
3. Private sector
The private sector includes business partners, institutions and partnered organizations that create or set up rewards to be redeemed by recycling incentive program members. Although implementing the incentive-based recycling programme in a big way is a new practice, from a business partner’s perspective, it is a way to attract new customers or increase purchases when a reward is redeemed. Companies can communicate with customers without spending more on advertising. And companies get a positive image, as the recycling incentive programme is an economic and environmental concern programme in the eyes of their customers. Companies can improve both their businesses and the environment.
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