Efforts to recycle waste from Nduba landfill to produce energy for the national grid, aerobic composting to fertilize crops, and other valuable products could soon come to fruition following the launch of a new three-year project to revamp waste collection and management in the City of Kigali.

The project is part of the agreement between the government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Environment and the Climate and Sustainable Development of the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The new project aims to strengthen cooperation and technology transfer between the two countries and ultimately embark on the project turn waste to valuable resources.

The project dubbed "Improving Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Hazardous Waste Management in Rwanda" is in line with Rwanda’s green growth strategy running up to 2050 and Rwanda's pledges under ten-year climate plan recently submitted to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), according to officials.

The efforts are part of implementing Paris Agreement to reduce global temperature to 1.5 degree Celsius by the mid of the century.

Rwanda plans to invest $28 million in extraction and utilisation of gas landfills (LFG) for power generation which will then reduce methane gas emissions in the air.

Instead of releasing them into the air, landfill gasses can be captured, converted, and used as a renewable energy resource.

The country also seeks to invest $8 million in setting up Waste-to-energy (WtE) plants in Kigali.

"We have to incorporate technology transfer to facilitate specialized waste treatment and recycling at the Nduba landfill. Besides energy and manure from waste, some solid waste can be turned into other materials such as plastic materials used at home, plastic chairs, plastic dustbins, pavers, electric poles, bricks and others," said environment minister Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya.

Mujawamariya said that management of waste constitutes 14 percent of the potential for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. 

Landfill gas utilisation contributes 54 percent to the reduction of emissions, waste-to-energy contributes 34 percent while   aerobic composting contributes 9 percent to reduction of gas emissions that cause global warming.

The investments to manage waste, she said, are neede1d based on the fact that population growth and rapid urbanization of Rwanda’s cities both pose significant challenges to sustainable development and green growth.

"Currently, the City of Kigali faces multiple priorities and demands to meet rising demands for sustainable services. Solid waste management is recognized as a critical area with impacts that overlap public health, environmental protection, and employment," she said.

She disclosed that waste entering landfill sites in the City of Kigali has increased from 141.38 tons every day in 2006 to 495.76 tons.

The increase in waste, she said, is due to the population in the City of Kigali that has increased from 603,049 in 2002 to about one million in 2015 and about 1.6 million as of now.

Sorting waste at household level

Mujawamariya said that the new project is going to ensure waste is sorted at household level so as to facilitate the investors to manage recycle it.

"The waste should not be wasted. We should turn waste into revenues. Once investors generate revenues from recycling waste we will work with them to reach the level of providing incentives to households so they feel motivated in sorting waste that are raw materials to investors," she said.

The interventions introduced as part of the project outcomes will have be replicated throughout the country according to the official.

She added that increase of electronic waste is one of the key issues that has also been considered in the integrated waste management.

"Solid waste management is a critical component required to move towards a green economy. Innovative solutions are needed to utilize the circular economy approach towards waste management in Rwanda and to recuperate recyclable materials, harness energy and reduce landfill sites. The business model of waste management has proven effective in treating waste as a valuable resource," she noted.

Besides reducing emissions from Nduba dumpsite waste, recycling is expected to create green jobs.

According to Pudence Rubingisa, the city mayor, private sector is being mobilized to tap into waste sorting and waste recycling opportunities.

"We are also working with Rwanda Development Board to ensure interested investors in waste recycling come on board to leverage opportunities in Nduba landfill," he said.

According to auditor general report as of June 2020, Nduba landfill has become environmental and health hazards to the city.

Government spends over Rwf1 billion every year on Nduba landfill management.

From 2016 to March 2021 over Rwf5 billion had been spent government but the government failed on 20 recommendations for its better management.