Waste Management
2016
Kenya
The westernization of many African countries has led to increased consumption and the associated waste streams. However, in Kenya and many other countries they do not have a system to manage these waste streams. As a result, the waste, of which plastics are the biggest problem, is dumped everywhere. This leads to the formation of many smaller and larger garbage dumps. In addition to the enormous environmental damage, this is also a huge source of income that is missed by the communities.
In Ahero, the transition to sustainable waste management takes place in several steps. First, the population is informed about the project. Together with them, the problem is discussed and their input is asked about how they want to solve the problem. A “waste committee” will be set up with the most committed people to serve as an advisory body and to offer support. The main task of this organization will be to spread the importance of waste management through sorting and recycling among the population. After this, the waste itself is studied in phase two. The waste stream can be mapped out by means of surveys and taking samples from different classes of the population. The composition, quantity and consistency of the stream are then examined. This information is then used to start any initiatives. As a final step, actions are set up to convert these waste streams into useful products. This ranges from composting the organic waste, selling plastics in neighboring recycling companies to fully organizing recycling projects ourselves.