Africa set to gain from global NGO’s new approach to plastic waste

From the newsletter

Plastic-based circular economy initiatives in Africa are set to benefit from a strategic shift by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a global non-profit tackling plastic pollution. Its Strategy 2030 pivots from small pilots to systemic programmes in countries with underserved waste systems, each designed to mobilise about $100 million in collective financing.

• The focus on countries with weak waste systems matches Africa’s reality, where many cities face mounting crises of high leakage, poor collection and minimal recycling capacity.

• By linking governments, development banks and private investors, the new strategy could de-risk circular projects, attract long-term capital and scale infrastructure that has long been held back by funding gaps.

More details

• Strategy 2030 was introduced in the Alliance’s 2024 Progress Report, marking a decisive shift towards large, multi-year programmes co-developed with public and private partners. These will target systemic barriers such as limited collection and sorting, low-value plastics and the absence of viable reuse models. Blended finance will be central to attracting private investment that would otherwise avoid high-risk environments.

• The strategy prioritises countries with fragile waste systems and high environmental leakage, aiming to help them move beyond landfill-heavy models and build modern circular economies. Policy alignment and governance reform will be part of each programme to ensure that national frameworks can sustain financing and infrastructure over the long term.

• It also aligns with wider global momentum around a binding plastics treaty. By positioning itself as a technical and financing partner, the Alliance can help governments translate treaty obligations into practical waste systems. For Africa, this could anchor national circular economy policies in a global framework.

• Another implication lies in markets. By scaling recycling infrastructure and improving traceability, the strategic shift could create reliable streams of secondary plastics that attract manufacturers. This would not only cut reliance on virgin imports but also strengthen compliance with emerging producer responsibility schemes across the continent.

• For Africa, the implications of Strategy 2030 are significant. Urban centres across the continent face deep structural challenges. Waste pickers remain the backbone of collection yet work in precarious conditions without recognition or protection. By combining financing with infrastructure, policy reform and social inclusion, Strategy 2030 offers a pathway to transform waste management into a driver of growth and resilience.

• The Alliance already has a presence in Africa. In Kenya, partnerships with TakaTaka Solutions and Mr Green Africa focus on low-value plastics while supporting ethical supply chains for waste collectors. In Ghana, the Asase Foundation operates a women-led recycling enterprise diverting thousands of tonnes of plastic each year. In South Africa, collaboration with the African Reclaimers Organisation has helped formalise over 6,000 informal pickers in Johannesburg’s recycling economy.

• If implemented effectively, Strategy 2030 could enable African nations to leapfrog into modern circular systems that prioritise recycling over landfilling, integrate informal workers and use technology to improve sorting and traceability. Co-financing with development banks and impact investors could unlock unprecedented levels of capital for infrastructure, helping the continent shift from incremental fixes to scalable solutions.

Our take

• Strategy 2030 positions Africa not only as a beneficiary but as a proving ground for circular models at scale. With the right alignment among stakeholders, plastic waste could become a source of jobs, innovation and sustainable growth.

• Larger, systemic approaches under Strategy 2030 could finally deliver solutions that match Africa’s rising waste challenge, breaking from the small circular projects whose impact has often remained invisible.

• For Africa to effectively benefit from the Alliance's strategic shift, governments must commit to policy reform, provide regulatory certainty and create enabling conditions that attract long-term investment into waste and recycling infrastructure.