Organic waste presents a significant challenge in Uganda, particularly in urban areas like Kampala, where population growth and urbanisation have resulted in increased waste generation. Over 90% of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Kampala is organic. While this waste can be a source of methane emissions when not managed properly, it also represents a valuable resource for agriculture and other industries.
As part of the “Mainstreaming Organic Waste Management Across 11 Countries” project, implemented by members of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) in Africa and funded by The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), GAIA Africa member End Plastic Pollution is working to enhance capacity for methane mitigation through source separation and organic waste diversion in Uganda.
In this article, part of a forthcoming blog series, we spoke with Nirere Sadrach, the founder of End Plastic Pollution, about their work as a partner in Uganda for the “Mainstreaming Organic Waste Management Across 11 Countries” project.
Thank you for your time, Nirere. Can you briefly provide an overview of your organisation and its mission, highlighting your key activities and focus areas?
End Plastic Pollution is a youth-led environmental organisation in Uganda. Our mission for a waste-free world seeks to address the waste crisis with a focus on the intersection between people, the environment and the economy.
How has being part of GAIA influenced your work? Are there any ways the network has helped or supported what you do?
From its foundation, End Plastic Pollution has grown, aligning its work with the GAIA strategy. This has guided us and enabled the shaping and development of programs and project implementation, as well as furthering the movement’s impact and agenda. From funding opportunities to participating in GAIA’s events, building our knowledge and networking with like-minded people and other GAIA member organisations, our partnership has strategically enabled us to deliver on impactful projects that are developing communities and transforming people, as well as promoting environmental actions to address the waste crisis in Uganda.
Together with GAIA and BFFP, we have established The Kollekt Village, a centre for learning and promoting zero waste in Uganda.
What are your thoughts on the waste crisis that many countries in the region are facing?
In Africa today, we are generating more waste than our capacity to manage it. Uganda is no exception; there are increasing waste levels, yet the country is insufficiently resilient to cope with this trend. Recently, the Kiteezi landfill, which is Uganda’s largest waste dumpsite, collapsed and killed over 30 people, leaving many homeless and affecting waste pickers’ livelihoods.
However, the government’s response to this disaster exposed the weaknesses and inabilities of the country and made it unprepared to combat the waste crisis. These and many other tragedies are happening across the world, and this should be a wake-up call.
There must be urgent action to address the increasing waste crisis, which is impacting our health, our environment and derailing our development. We must work towards achieving a waste-free world because it is possible.
Your organisation is part of the Mainstreaming Organic Waste Management Across 11 Countries CCAC project in Africa. What has attracted your organisation to this project, and what are your hopes for organic waste management work in your country?
End Plastic Pollution is committed to promoting actions to address the problem of poor waste management in Uganda. To fully address the waste crisis, End Plastic Pollution is focusing beyond plastic waste and has launched initiatives to address the organic waste crisis too, through the zero waste approach.
In Uganda, organic waste makes up 50% to 60% of total waste collected. Therefore, with this project to mainstream organic waste management, Uganda is set to recognise the importance of managing the organic waste sector to reduce methane emissions, short-lived climate pollutants, improve public health and lower disease risks.
Under the CCAC project, what are the primary campaigns or initiatives your organisation is currently implementing to address organic waste management challenges?
Under the CCAC project, End Plastic Pollution conducted community awareness and training to educate the public about organic management, source separation, and desired policies to manage organic waste. About 50 people from Masuulita Town in Wakiso attended and benefited from the training.
Our implementation strategy put waste pickers at the centre and prioritised their involvement to derive the project’s impact best. 32 waste pickers and waste workers from Kampala, Wakiso and Masuulita Town have been grouped and participated in our training on waste pickers integration and organising, source separation, climate change, methane issues and their role in organic waste management.
This was done alongside engaging local leaders in the Masuulita Town Council, who joined other local community leaders for the sessions. During these sessions, End Plastic Pollution presented recommendations/proposals for local policies to manage organic waste.
In addition, End Plastic Pollution has adapted the CCAC project works and findings to inform its involvement in the process of developing a national sector strategy for organic waste management in Uganda, joining other CCAC partners, including the Ministry of Water and Environment, National Environment Management Authority and Kampala Capital City Authority.
What has been a personal milestone or most memorable moment for your organisation working on this project?
The opening of our organic waste management section at The Kollekt Village. With the capacity to handle and compost 3 tons of organic waste, the facility was constructed with three chambers through support from GAIA and CCAC. The facility also features a training space dedicated to organic waste management learning and demonstration of composting techniques.
During the opening day, we were joined by people from the community of Masuulita Town, local government leaders, waste pickers and representatives from other environmental organisations.
What are the most pressing issues related to organic waste management in your country, and how do these challenges continue to influence how your organisation work on these issues?
There is a need to increase the profile of organic waste and put efforts towards unlocking the opportunities enshrined in the organic waste sector.
Issues including ignoring waste pickers’ role in enabling proper collection of organic materials and poor waste organic waste management, mostly stemming from the absence of separation at source, leading to mixed waste collections, are some of the many challenges to address. Much of the organic waste collected is found in dumpsites mixed up with other kinds of waste, which makes it difficult to sort and recover the organic material.
With support from GAIA, End Plastic Pollution is fronting a zero waste strategy as the best approach to these challenges. The zero waste strategy has not only improved waste collection but also put communities, waste pickers, and the government as key stakeholders in determining its impact. Through this, there has been registration of improved waste collection and promotion of separation at source, especially in local food markets and households in Masuulita Town.
Looking ahead to the next few years, what type of needs or support do you anticipate you will need to continue advocacy on organic waste management in your country?
End Plastic Pollution is continuing all project works, and we are looking forward to spreading our awareness coverage on organic waste management to more parts of the country, involving more waste pickers and engaging the government at all levels.
We hope this partnership with GAIA and CCAC will continue, and we are looking forward to building our capacity to deliver the project’s impact. More support, including knowledge sharing on organic management and its alignment to methane and climate change, will be required to widen the project scope and improve our information.
We are continuing with the government, expecting it to endorse not only the zero waste approach but also deliver on a national sector strategy for organic waste management in Uganda.
We are also set to increase our organic waste collection and materials recovery capacity to handle more significant amounts from other communities beyond Masuulita Town.
How does your organisation’s work on waste management intersect with social justice concerns, and how do you address these intersections in your advocacy and programming?
All our activities and project implementation works are developed and delivered with a non-discrimination approach. This is part of our values and principles that guide our work to ensure and incorporate justice.
In addition, End Plastic Pollution has adopted environmental justice principles developed by GAIA to guide the integration of community members and waste workers as we implement our work. This has enabled us to support and empower waste pickers and waste workers who are facing various social injustices, including stigmatisation, discrimination and lack of recognition, among others.
Are there any quotes, mottos, or beliefs that the organisation tries to adopt in all its work?
Yes, ‘’Together for a waste-free world.’’
About End Plastic Pollution Uganda: End Plastic Pollution Uganda is a youth-led community based environmental non-government organisation working with focus on the intersection between people, the environment and the economy. Through our work, we are increasing awareness, educating, influencing policy and practicing promoting environmental actions in local communities. End Plastic Pollution Uganda seeks to sensitize communities, educate youth & women and support our program to strengthen waste picker organisations in Uganda. We seek to support the implementation of its zero-waste model for local communities. Therefore, the waste sector offers a prime opportunity for countries like Uganda to take action that will dramatically reduce emissions, strengthen climate resilience systems, and provide substantial health and economic benefits.
ENDS.
