Rwanda offers a plastic recycling model worth emulating, reports Radhia Mtonga

RWANDA – The government of Rwanda has adopted specific laws and policies that focus directly on plastic waste control in that nation, leading Africa in plastic waste management.

Across Africa, plastic pollution remains a serious problem, devastating communities’ health, the environment, and the ecosystem that millions depend on for their livelihood.

But amidst this challenge, Rwanda remains at the forefront of waste management, earning its capital city, Kigali, the moniker “Africa’s cleanest city”.

The country’s efforts began with a 2008 ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags, which was subsequently followed by the outlawing of single-use plastic items, as one of the long-term strategies for becoming a green and climate-resilient nation.

The ban was aimed at minimizing the dangers of plastic pollution to humans, farm animals, aquatic life and the environment.

According to a World Bank Report, Rwanda’s current strong institutional and political will, legal frameworks and citizens active in eliminating plastic pollution foster socio-economic development and environmental protection.

The country also has a host of national policies and laws concerning general pollution management: Vision 2020 (2000); Rwanda Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (2011); Regulations of Solid Waste Recycling (2015); and the Law on Environment (48/2018 of 13/08/2018), among others.

In addition, there are specific laws or policies that focus directly on plastic waste control in Rwanda.

These include Law No. 57/2008 of 10/09/2008 relating to the prohibition of the manufacturing, importation, use and sale of polythene bags in Rwanda (2008).

As a signatory to international conventions, Rwanda has adhered to its commitments to achieve ambitious changes in the use, management and disposal of plastics in the country.

For instance, as a signatory of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the country seeks to contribute to the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement.

The management of plastic pollution in Rwanda falls within a wider strategic, regulatory and policy framework, which sets the foundation for the management of waste.

In order for these commitments to really take root however, the backing of the local community is needed.

In the East African country, this has come in the form of “Umuganda“, a Kinyarwanda word that means “coming together in common purpose”.

It’s a monthly community work (including community cleanup) reintroduced to Rwandan life in 1998 as part of the efforts to rebuild the country after the 1994 genocide.

Despite impressive success, delivery of waste management services in Rwanda still faces significant challenges if the governments, industries and businesses do not invest and develop effective and efficient waste management systems.

Another challenge is a lack of data and data management systems for waste management, which makes it difficult to understand and design policies for waste management and assess the impact of plastic policies on plastic waste recycling reduction in Rwanda.

The government could address these challenges by developing a robust data management system to gather, record and report on plastics data.

It will allow the nation to better track waste accumulation, waste movements and end destinations (e.g. tonnages recycled, recovered, or disposed of) including public behavioral changes toward plastic waste management practices, and enable the government to identify and assess opportunities for future interventions.

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