WASTE RECYCLING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN AFRICA: BARRIERS TO IMPROVING RECLAMATION RATES

The volumes of waste being generated in any city, and that must be collected and
disposed of, require ever increasing funds to manage it and it is also creating increasing
environmental concerns. In the developing world reclamation of recyclable waste products
from the municipal waste stream has become an important source of revenue for many people
who cannot find formal employment and it is their only source of income. The level of
reclamation varies substantially however between the different countries in Africa.
It has been found that there are a number of barriers to improving, or formalising this process,
and this paper will aim to identify these barriers and will propose a number of potential
solutions to improve the recovery rates as well as the income stream for the individual
reclaimers. In Africa in general, reclamation is done by the informal sector in a very
unorganised manner and is mainly done by very poor unemployed people who are able to
improve their way of life and get a small income by scavenging firstly usable items such as
containers for storage of household items, material to construct shelters with, clothing, etc or
food, and secondly items that have a value and can be sold to recyclers. Because the recycling
industry is still in its infancy compared to the manufacturing industry, the reward for recyclable
materials fluctuates a lot. There is also a very limited market for recyclables, and it is also a
fact that in a number of areas the general recycling market is just not aware of the potential
value in reclaimed materials.
A number of interventions by the various levels of government, the donor community or NGOs
can significantly improve recycling rates and create different methods of additional
employment, or income generating opportunities.