According to United Nations, between now and 2025, the world population will increase by 20% to reach 8 billion inhabitants, and it is estimated that by 2050 the world population will reach approximately 9.5 billion. 97% of this growth is predicted to take place in Asia and Africa. With this increase in population, an increase in waste volumes generated is inevitable.

Waste and its management is one of the most crucial environmental challenges that is facing the world today. As we proceed to develop and improve our standards of living, the amount and types of waste generated is seen to be increasing constantly.

Africa is one of the continents struggling to cope with the increased wastes generated. In urban centres throughout the continent, less than half of the solid wastes generated are collected, of which 95% is not contained nor recycled.

It is unsystematically dumped– usually at sites on the fringes of urban centres, and less frequently at temporary sites. These types of waste disposal act as breeding grounds for diseases and also pollute water sources in the vicinity, leading to serious health and environmental impacts. These poor waste management practices aggravate the existing problem of poor sanitation across the continent. 

The main concern is that the infrastructure and land use planning for waste management in Africa is not coping with the growth in the wastes, as well as the types of wastes. This is especially urgent in the slum areas that constitute a big part of many of the cities and towns across Africa. In rural areas, waste management infrastructures are non-existent, leading to high costs of health services, urbanisation and poverty.

Despite the existence of waste management policies at governmental levels in several African states, application and implementation remain problematic. There are many alternatives emerging in the field of waste management, such as composting, separation and recycling.

These options can convert wastes into assets, and can also assist in generating employment and income, which is always desirable. There are a number of powerful, scalable technologies that can be used to turn waste into resources. These practices range from waste sorting and commodity recovery facilities, to extremely efficient energy from waste management plants – mixed waste-streams can be used to generate renewable heat and power for local communities.