The incident has sparked a broader discussion about the future of waste management in the country, particularly in Kampala, where 600 tonnes of waste are generated daily. This has prompted both private sector players and government officials to rethink waste management strategies, recognizing the significant societal and economic benefits of improved practices.
The Kiteezi landfill garbage slide, which resulted in over 35 deaths and left 28 people still missing as excavation efforts continue, underscores the urgent need for more appropriate waste management measures in Uganda. The disaster has highlighted the risks associated with the current garbage dumping model and the necessity of moving towards safer and more sustainable practices to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Fortunately, there are already individuals and organizations in Uganda who recognize the importance of improving waste management practices. The success of these efforts demonstrates that there are proven methods that can be replicated to ensure effective waste management.
In an exclusive interview with The Observer, the CEO of Asante Waste Management Company shared that his company has successfully recycled over 75% of the plastic waste they receive from various customers. He emphasized that only biodegradable waste is sent to landfills like Kiteezi and Katabi, showcasing a model that could be widely adopted to enhance waste management practices across the country.
WASTE MANAGEMENT PROCESS
Speaking to The Observer, Deogratius Emojong, the head of Customer Relations and Public Relations at Asante Waste Management, detailed the waste management process at their material recovery facility.
“When the garbage trucks bring waste to our facility, the waste is segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable categories,” Emojong explained.
He elaborated that the segregation process involves women working at the recycling plant, who carefully separate materials such as cardboard, chipboard, low-density polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, with high-density plastics set aside for further processing.
“Notably, the chipboard and cardboard waste is set aside and baled using a baling machine,” Emojong said. “This baled material is then sold to paper factories, where it is used as a raw material for producing paper.”
Once the sorting process is completed, the plastic waste undergoes a washing process to remove impurities. The cleaned plastic is then fed into a shredding machine, which reduces it to smaller pieces or flakes. These flakes are melted down and molded into pellets, which are sold to plastic- based industries as raw materials for manufacturing plastic products.
In addition to recycling plastic waste, the company also recycles glass, receiving approximately 80 tonnes of glass waste each month.
“We cut drinking bottles into glasses and refine broken bottles into products like cereal holders, candle wax holders, bulb holders, and wind chimes,” Emojong noted.
The glass recycling process is handled by Ram Industries, a subsidiary of Asante Waste Management, which reuses, recycles and reimagines glass waste into everyday products. Emojong emphasized that Asante Waste Management has educated its customers on the importance
of separating waste.
Customers are provided with bags for plastic waste, biodegradable waste, and hazardous waste, such as sanitary pads, diapers, and condoms, which are disposed of appropriately.
“In cases where customers mix hazardous waste with plastic or biodegradable waste, they receive warnings from the company,” Emojong highlighted. “If they continue this practice, they are removed from our list of customers, and we no longer collect their waste.”
Emojong also mentioned that the recent Kiteezi landfill disaster, coupled with the expiration of the Katabi landfill lease, has increased operational costs for the company. Garbage trucks now have to travel longer distances to dispose of waste, further complicating the waste management process.
PROPER WASTE MANAGEMENT IN UGANDA: A CRITICAL NEED
The recent disaster at the Kiteezi Landfill has severely disrupted Uganda’s waste disposal system, leading to potential challenges such as illegal dumping by waste companies, health epidemics due to accumulating waste in communities, and the risk of waste management companies going out of business due to escalating operational costs.
Ronald Mukula, speaking to The Observer, emphasized the importance of addressing these challenges through a shift in mindset among Ugandans. He pointed out that many people are unaware of the value chain that exists in waste management.
“People don’t know that there is actually a value chain in waste management. There’s so many industries that are just as dependent on garbage collection or waste management,” Mukula noted.
He explained that materials like plastics, glass, and metals, which are recycled by his company, Asante Waste Management, have provided essential raw materials to industries, thereby helping to streamline the logistics chain.
