DAR ES SALAAM: EVERY day, millions of Tanzanians throw away food scraps, plastic bottles, paper, cans and other household waste without giving it a second thought. Collectively, the country produces more than 12 million tonnes of waste every year. Yet less than half of this waste is collected, meaning much of it ends up in streets, rivers, open spaces or is burned in the open.
Even where waste is collected, most is not converted into value: assessments suggest under a fifth of it is sorted or processed into a usable resource, a processing gap as much as a collection one. The consequences are visible in many of our communities. Blocked drainage channels contribute to flooding during the rainy season.
Plastic waste pollutes rivers and the ocean. Open dumping and burning contaminate the air we breathe, while decomposing waste releases methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. But hidden beneath this growing environmental challenge lies an equally significant economic opportunity.
What if the waste we throw away every day could help protect our environment while creating decent jobs and sustainable incomes for women and young people? As Tanzania searches for practical ways to strengthen climate resilience, reduce unemployment and build a greener economy, this question deserves serious attention. The answer may lie in embracing the circular economy, an approach that keeps materials in use for as long as possible instead of treating them as disposable.
Rather than following the traditional pattern of taking, using and throwing away resources, a circular economy encourages reuse, recycling and recovery. Organic waste becomes compost or clean cooking fuel. Plastic is transformed into new products.
Waste, in other words, becomes a valuable resource instead of an environmental burden. For Tanzania, this is more than an environmental conversation. Around three-quarters of the country’s municipal waste comes from households, and much of it is biodegradable, including food leftovers and garden waste.
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