How Gulu is making strides in combating plastic waste
What you need to know:
- The city has boosted its infrastructure to handle wastes, establishing a dedicated plastic recycling facility, among others
The city has boosted its infrastructure to handle wastes, establishing a dedicated plastic recycling facility, among others.
In the financial year 2023/24, Gulu City’s plastic waste accounted for an average of 20 percent of all waste, including polythene bags, plastic bottles, and fibres.
Waste management data from June 2021 to June 2024 show that the city generated 67 tonnes, 68 tonnes, and 70 tonnes of waste in three financial years, respectively. Of this, plastics comprised an average of 13 tonnes annually, with monthly averages of one tonne.
In the three years before mid-2021, Gulu City spent Shs221 million managing plastic waste.
However, with the introduction of recycling skips, the financial burden fell to Shs201 million.
Mr Patrick Ogwang, the city’s acting principal health officer, said: “The city has boosted its infrastructure to handle wastes, establishing a dedicated plastic recycling facility at Kaunda grounds managed through a public-private partnership.”
The “Takataka” Initiative
In 2020, at a time when Gulu City was grappling with plastics, waste recycling expert, Mr Peter Okwokol, launched the “Takataka” initiative, which turns discarded plastics into functional and stylish products.
Named after the Kiswahili word for trash, the initiative not only mitigates environmental harm but also generates jobs for youth in Gulu.
“We started Takataka to address the plastic pollution crisis and create jobs,” Mr Okwokol explained.
His team collects plastic waste to produce tiles, phone stands, and laptop stands.
To gather materials, the initiative has placed plastic collection banks in public spaces, such as markets, schools, and hospitals, and employs about 200 youth who are paid per amount collected.
“We have about 200 young people in the community who collect the plastics and then we pay them a fee for whatever amount they have collected,” he added.
Expansion efforts
Recently, Mr Okwokol secured grants to construct a modern processing plant and acquired eight acres in Koro to establish a larger facility.
He said: “We plan to establish a training hub and expand beyond Gulu to Arua and Lira. By the end of next year, we might have another Takataka setup in Lira.”
However, he expressed frustration over delays by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards in certifying their products.
Gulu City currently has 58 waste skips, 58 dustbins, and five waste trucks distributed across the city.
Despite the availability of skips, improper waste disposal by residents remains a significant challenge.
Progress in waste reduction
Over the past three years, Daily Monitor has observed a notable reduction in plastic waste volume due to recycling efforts, leading to less plastic litter, fewer drainage blockages, and extended landfill life.
Mr Ogwang remarked: “The city has become cleaner since there is a reduction in the littering associated with plastics.”
Reduced plastic waste also lessens Gulu’s greenhouse gas emissions and waste management costs by decreasing collection, storage, and disposal needs.
Risks of plastic waste
Environmental expert Florence Okode warned of the dangers posed by plastic waste if not properly managed.
“When dumped in the environment, plastics pollute water, land, and air, causing quality degradation,” she said.
She also cautioned that microplastics enter the food chain through soil contamination, posing health risks and potentially contributing to rising cancer rates.
The Gulu City Mayor, Mr Alfred Okwonga, highlighted the climate impact of plastic decomposition, noting: “They release carbon dioxide and methane, the two key contributors to global warming and climate change.”
An assessment of 11 waterways in Gulu City, such as the Pece stream and tributaries like Okuce and Limu, revealed significant plastic pollution.
Mr Okwokol estimated that while around 75 percent of plastic bottles are collected for recycling, only 11 percent undergo recycling.
According to the World Economic Forum, plastics emit methane and ethylene upon exposure to sunlight, with polyethylene being the largest emitter globally.
Ms Okode emphasised the overlooked climate impact, noting: “Poor disposal of plastics leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions once exposed to sunlight.”
In 2023/24, of the average one tonne monthly plastic waste, 45 percent was recycled, while 17 percent ended up in waterways due to rainfall.