Rethinking Urban Waste: Circular Economy Pathways for Cleaner East African Cities

The study shows that East African cities face a rapidly growing waste crisis that current disposal-based systems cannot handle, leading to serious pollution and health risks. It concludes that adopting circular economy approaches—focused on reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering waste—offers a practical path to cleaner cities, green jobs, and more sustainable urban development.

Researchers from Wolaita Sodo University, Kebridar University, and Gambella University examine one of East Africa’s most urgent urban challenges: how cities can manage rapidly growing amounts of waste without worsening pollution and public health risks. Based on a systematic review of 121 academic and policy sources published between 2013 and 2024, the study shows that cities such as Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kampala, and Dar es Salaam already generate between 0.45 and 0.85 kilograms of waste per person each day. With fast urban growth and rising consumption, total waste volumes are expected to increase by up to 70 percent by 2030 if current trends continue, placing enormous strain on already fragile municipal systems.

Why Current Waste Systems Are Failing

Most East African cities still rely on linear waste systems built around collection and disposal, often through open dumping, uncontrolled landfills, or open burning. These practices release toxic substances into the environment, including harmful gases, heavy metals, and persistent pollutants that contaminate air, soil, and water. Poorly managed landfills also produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, while polluted runoff threatens rivers and groundwater. The study makes clear that simply expanding existing disposal sites will not solve the problem. Instead, it argues that the region needs a fundamental shift in how waste is viewed and managed.

The Circular Economy: Turning Waste into a Resource

At the heart of the paper is the idea of the circular economy, which treats waste not as a burden but as a valuable resource. Rather than the traditional “take–make–dispose” model, circular systems focus on reducing waste, reusing materials, recycling products, and recovering energy or nutrients from what remains. The authors explain that this approach is especially suitable for East Africa because much of the region’s waste is organic. Composting and anaerobic digestion can turn food and agricultural waste into fertilizer and biogas, while recycling can recover plastics, metals, and paper. When carefully designed, waste-to-energy technologies can also reduce landfill use and generate electricity, as shown by Ethiopia’s Reppie Waste-to-Energy plant in Addis Ababa.

Policies, Technology, and People on the Frontline

The review finds that progress toward circular waste systems varies widely across countries. Kenya and Rwanda stand out for stronger policies, including plastic bans and extended producer responsibility rules that push companies to manage post-consumer waste. Rwanda’s strict enforcement and community participation have helped keep cities like Kigali notably clean. Other countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, have introduced supportive laws and pilot projects but struggle with weak enforcement, limited funding, and poor infrastructure.

Technology is playing a growing role in addressing these gaps. Across the region, new recycling enterprises, composting projects, and digital tools are improving waste collection and sorting. Mobile apps now connect households with waste collectors and reward recycling behavior, while early experiments with artificial intelligence are helping automate waste sorting. The study also highlights the importance of public-private partnerships, which bring private investment and expertise into a sector where municipal resources are often limited.

From Informal Work to Inclusive Solutions

A key strength of the paper is its focus on people, especially informal waste workers who collect and sort much of the region’s recyclable material. While their work supports recycling and reduces pollution, these workers often operate without legal protection, stable income, or safe conditions. The authors argue that formalizing and supporting the informal sector, through training, cooperatives, and social protection, could dramatically improve recycling rates while also creating safer, more dignified jobs. Community education, school programs, and financial incentives are also shown to be crucial in changing household behavior and encouraging waste separation at the source.

A Practical Path Toward Zero-Waste Cities

The study concludes that circular economy strategies offer East Africa a realistic path toward cleaner cities, lower pollution, and greener economic growth. However, success will depend on strong and enforceable policies, long-term investment in infrastructure and skills, better regional cooperation, and solutions that fit local conditions rather than copying high-income models. Without coordinated action, the authors warn, East African cities risk locking themselves into deeper environmental and public health crises. With it, they could turn today’s waste challenge into an opportunity for sustainable and inclusive urban development.