Rwanda has launched a National Circular Economy Action Plan that aims to contribute to climate resilience and carbon neutrality by 2050.
The program is being implemented by a collaboration of the government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The plan will cover the waste including electronic waste, water, agriculture, textile, transport, construction and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors. It will be spread over 14 years and cost US $211 million.
Circular economy
The plan according to the implementers will enable the country to place the circular economy at the heart of all economic decisions and projects by 2035. The country already recovers used plastics, notably through recycling plants such as the one located in Mageragere, in the Nyarugenge district, which transforms plastic waste into building paving stones. In the capital Kigali, a project launched in March 2022 will allow the transformation of at least 70% of organic waste from the Nduba landfill into fertiliser.
“The main focus will be to ensure that waste is collected separately and sorted into high quality waste fractions which are essential prerequisites for a higher recovery rate in all waste streams,” said Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Rwanda’s Minister of the Environment.
Rwanda’s National Action Plan on the Circular Economy will also help to secure the country’s water supply through resource rationalisation. The country also plans to embark on the use of non-conventional water resources. With a population of 12.5 million, the country is facing a drought that has affected the whole of East Africa for several years. Beyond the valorisation of agricultural waste, the funds will be used to produce food based on regenerative and resource-saving principles, to integrate closed loops into agricultural operations and to optimise transport and storage to reduce post-harvest losses.