Rwanda is advancing a shift in its circular economy from an environmental compliance framework to a revenue-generating industrial strategy, positioning waste as a source of investment, jobs, and production inputs.

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The approach aims to unlock new value chains by turning waste into energy, materials, and industrial resources, rather than treating it as a disposal challenge. This was highlighted on Thursday, June 25, during a validation meeting on the operational framework of the Private Sector Engagement Model under the National Circular Economy Action Plan and Roadmap.

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A circular economy is an economic model designed to eliminate waste and regenerate natural systems.

Speakers from government, development partners, academia, and the private sector said the success of the model will depend on whether waste is treated as an economic resource.

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Daniel Nkubito Ugirashebuja, the coordinator of the Cleaner Air Production and Climate Innovation Centre under the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA), said the framework is designed to translate ideas into implementable projects.

"The money is in the dustbin. So, the money is in the waste.”

He said the system is intended to go beyond policy discussions and deliver green jobs, investment opportunities, and reduced import dependence, particularly through waste-to-energy systems, industrial reuse, and organic fertiliser production.

"We have seen that waste can produce gas, waste can produce steam, and it can be distributed across residential areas and manufacturers,” he said.

Ugirashebuja added that better use of treated water and locally produced fertilisers could help reduce the country’s fertiliser import bill and free public resources for other priorities.

Christian Sekomo Birame, the Director General of the National Industrial Research and Development Agency, said: "The circular economy is no longer just an environmental agenda. It is now becoming a development strategy for our country.”

He said aligning economic actors around a shared direction is key to unlocking coordinated investment and innovation across sectors.

According to Faustin Munyazikwiye, the Deputy Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the circular economy model is grounded in measurable economic and environmental benefits.

He said: "A country cannot commit to having a National Circular Economy Action Plan if we do not see its benefits.”

Munyazikwiye linked the agenda to climate risk, noting that climate change is already affecting Rwanda’s economic performance, with global assessments indicating losses equivalent to between 5 and 7 per cent of GDP annually.

"We need to shift from business as usual,” he said.

Munyazikwiye noted that previous environmental policies such as the plastic ban and wastewater treatment requirements initially faced resistance but later created business opportunities and cost savings.

"When we started the journey of banning plastic use here, it was a cry out. But it generated a lot of opportunities for people who started plastic recycling plants.”

He urged businesses to view environmental regulation as a driver of innovation and investment.

"Let’s see any decision and any policy we have in this country as an opportunity for investment, as an opportunity to shift from business as usual.”

Eric Ruzigamanzi, the Country Representative of the World Resources Institute, said the circular economy in the food sector focuses on how food is produced, transported, and reused after loss or waste.

Rwanda loses between 30 and 40 per cent of food along the supply chain, he said, arguing that recovery systems can convert waste into animal feed, compost, and energy products. He added that engagement platforms have already helped address regulatory and financing barriers by bringing banks and small businesses into direct dialogue.

In the education sector, Emmanuel Dusingizimana, the executive secretary of an organisation representing 5,041 schools, said schools are central to changing mindsets and building long-term ownership of the circular economy agenda.

He said: "We should remove the word ‘waste’ and embrace ‘raw material.’”

Private sector actors said the model is already proving profitable.

Console Niyigena, the Operations Lead at Kigasali Coffee Company Ltd, said circular practices have turned by-products into income streams.

"For us, the answer is yes. It is profitable because what was once waste is now profitable for us.”

Niyigena said coffee husks are now processed into cooking briquettes, while organic residues are turned into compost that improves agricultural productivity.

"What was once a burden is now helping us save our products and generate profit.”