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Enhancing Plastic Waste Collection in Kampala District...
Living Earth Uganda's latest project Enhancing Plastic Waste Collection in Kampala District was officially launched on 12th January 2009. The launch followed an initial baseline survey completed in December 2008 which assessed current waste management practices in Kampala. The project is founded on a Public-Private Partnership approach as Living Earth Uganda works in partnership with Plastics Recycling Industries Uganda Ltd and DED (German Development Services). |
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Haphazard dumping of waste is Programme Background
The project aims to increase awareness about sustainable waste management in the districts of Kampala, highlighting both the economic and environmental benefits of recycling waste as well as promoting cross-sector partnerships between communities and waste management businesses. Living Earth Uganda is currently working in twenty districts and has plans to expand the project further.
In 2008 Living Earth Uganda carried out a baseline survey in order to record and assess current practices with regard to waste plastic management and to identify key areas for development. This baseline survey was completed in December 2008 and its conclusions show a poor level of waste management in Kampala. However there was a positive response amongst local communities and local leaders who showed themselves eager to learn and to overcome the challenges created by the lack of a structured waste management system.
Key challenges
The key issues identified by communities in the baseline survey and that will be addressed by the project include:
- Insufficient space to store recyclable plastic waste, particularly in impoverished urban areas,
- Inadequate tools and transport to collect and dispose of plastic waste,
- Blockage of drainage channels by plastic waste leading to cholera outbreaks,
- A lack of awareness amongst communities regarding the consequences of plastic waste dumping,
- Communities have 'solutions' imposed on them, rather than being given the tools to learn and develop their own solutions,
- Lack of coherent and cohesive strategy guiding waste management activities in Kampala and Uganda as a whole.
Project activities:
As a result of the baseline survey, the following activities have been identified and will be implemented by the project:-
Facilitation of 80 sensitisation workshops in 20 districts of Kampala,
Creation of 15 community-based sustainable plastic collection businesses,
- Establishment of Public Private partnerships between local communties and Plastic Recycling Industries,
- Promotion of bio-degradable plastics,
- Improvement of the economic benefits of plastic waste management.
The project has regular progress reports detailing the achievements and the challenges faced to date.
Read the original baseline survey here...
Read the report for December 2008 here...
Read the report for April 2009 here...
For further information on the project please contact Living Earth Uganda.
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Uganda in a Nutshell
Enhancing Plastic Waste Collection |
Nakivubo Channel blocked by plastic waste
Kitezi dumping site for all the divisions in Kampala City
Participants at a sensitisation workshop in Naguru