In 2016, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) generated 174 Million tons of waste per year. According to the World Bank, by 2030, this number is projected to double and more than triple by 2050 to 516 million tons. In a rapidly urbanising context, local governments in the region struggle to manage ever-increasing waste volumes. Nevertheless, national and local governments have shown much interest in improving the implementation of good solid waste management practices.

Under the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa initiative, GIZ aims to provide local governments in SSA with good practice examples of effective waste management, from CoM SSA signatories and local governments across the region. With the aim to enhance knowledge exchange between cities and empower local governments to develop effective waste management solutions, CoM SSA has released a case studies compilation with lessons learnt on Waste Management across the region.

Titled “Lessons on Recent Solid Waste Management Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa”, the report highlights four approaches to waste management in SSA local governments, from a small-scale community recycling solutions to multi-million-dollar regional waste programmes, across the continent from Sierra Leone to Kenya.