Uganda’s waste: A climate time bomb ticking loudly

“Mother Nature is treated as a sole provider of all that humanity needs and at the same time a consumer of all the rubbish generated by extracting resources from the environment, using them once and wastefully disposing [them] back to the environment without reflecting on the impacts of such practices,” says Ms. Nantege, who is the coordinator of the Appropriate Technology Centre at the Ministry of Water and Environment.

“We import a lot of single-use products, especially packaging materials, pampers, and women’s hair products, all of which end up in the environment as waste and thus affect climate change,” she emphasizes.

She further explains that poor waste management in Uganda “greatly contribute[s] to climate change challenges the country is facing, and this is mainly through the generation and emission of greenhouse gases like methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.”

Depth of the problem
The rate of waste accumulation is surging, mirroring rapid urbanization.

“Unsorted waste disposed of in the environment has far-reaching public health hazards, and poorly managed solid waste is responsible for air pollution, land pollution, and water pollution,” Ms. Nantege states.

The leaching of microplastics and other contaminants into water and soil is a growing concern, exacerbating health risks.

“Research associates solid waste dumping with the risk of diseases among humans. These diseases include respiratory infections, headaches, eye irritations, congenital anomalies, chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and kidney diseases, among others,” she warns.

Beyond health, poor waste management leads to “economic inefficiency, increased economic costs, and social inequality.”

The recent waste explosion at the Kiteezi landfill, according to Ms. Nantege, was “a tip of an iceberg,” revealing the disastrous potential of mismanaged waste.

“At the same time, it was an eye-opener, tipping us on the potential of the energy source we just throw to waste, yet at the same time, we desperately buy charcoal expensively, produced at the cost of rain-making forests,” she observes.

While acknowledging the environmental damage, Ms. Nantege remains optimistic.

“We have what it takes to give our mother earth a second opportunity to live healthily again. We need to pick it up from where we are and rewrite the story for the generations to come after us,” she urges.

“We need to learn from the life cycle paradigm to minimize negative environmental and public health impacts. The leeway is in the adoption of green practices right from the point of natural resource extraction throughout the value chain and disposal levels.”

Towards a zero-waste economy
To combat climate change, Ms. Nantege advocates for a shift towards a zero-waste economy.

“One step forward can be transforming Uganda into a zero-waste economy, and this will be a positive stride towards the actualization of climate change mitigation and adaptation,” she asserts.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires minimizing landfill waste, adopting sustainable energy sources, and harnessing methane.

“Typically, more than 90 percent of waste generated in Uganda is organic, and this presents a high potential for effective waste management. If we use the public health and economics lenses, we can adopt cost-effective engineered solutions for improved solid waste management,” she explains.

She also emphasizes the importance of starting with practical initiatives at the residential level, as “70 to 80 percent of waste is recyclable.”

Actionable steps
Ms. Nantege proposes an action plan that includes:

• Mandating biogas plants at abattoirs
• Establishing fertilizer packaging plants
• Creating organic waste processing centers
• Promoting household composting
• Supporting bio briquette production
• Conducting mass sensitization on the circular economy
• The Appropriate Technology Centre is actively promoting low-cost green technologies.

“These technologies have been tried and tested. The centre provides documented evidence about their appropriateness. The centre is currently promoting these technologies at the community level through the technology transfer drive,” Ms. Nantege confirms.

Waste Generation in Uganda
Ms. Nantege identifies key waste generation levels in Uganda:

Households: “By common practice, people always cook in excess, consume what they can, and throw away what is termed as ‘leftovers.’”

Food Markets: “These are often mixed with polythene bags, foil, and plastic bottles, among others. The mixed waste rots, and liquids leak, compromising the environmental ambience and causing a displeasing smell.”

Abattoirs: High methane content in animal waste presents an opportunity for biogas harvesting.

Municipal Waste: “It is still poorly managed, like any other waste, with inadequate collection, poor transportation, and risky disposal practices. A large chunk of municipal waste ends up choking the environment.”

Agricultural Waste: “Besides, stems of crops like maize, beans, and the banana pseudo stem all end up being thrown away after harvesting the fruit, thereby throwing away over 40-80 percent of the potential benefits from the plant.”

By addressing these challenges, Uganda can mitigate the impact of waste on its climate and move towards a more sustainable future.