Project tracker: Four new circular projects launched

From the newsletter

Over the past three months, Africa’s circular economy landscape has seen a fresh wave of activity. Data from the Circular Rising project tracker shows that since January, four new projects have been announced across the continent, spanning plastic waste, organic waste, toxic waste and urban sanitation.

• West Africa dominates, with two projects, while the other two are spread across East and Southern Africa,

• The projects are backed by a mix of funders, including multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and Global Environment Facility, private investors, and government-led initiatives.

More details

• In January, Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State launched a $12.5 million urban sanitation project in Dhagax-buur town. Funded by the World Bank, the project will see the construction of a wet waste treatment and sanitation plant aimed at modernising how urban waste is collected, contained and processed. It forms part of a broader national programme targeting 23 cities to improve sanitation systems in rapidly growing urban centres. Beyond infrastructure, the project is designed to address pressing public health risks while also creating economic value from waste. Expected to be operational within 18 months, the facility will generate jobs and convert organic waste into fertiliser for agricultural use. 

• Building on this momentum, February saw the kingdom nation of Eswatini launch the “Reduced Risks on Human Health and the Environment Through Reduction of POPs and UPOPs” project, a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening waste management systems and reducing harmful chemical pollution. Funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, the project targets key waste streams including healthcare waste, e-waste and plastics.

• The five-year initiative focuses on improving waste regulation, enhancing segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and advancing a shift toward a zero-waste and circular economy model. It also includes measures to replace mercury-based devices, support small and women-led circular businesses, and establish a knowledge hub to improve capacity and knowledge sharing in waste management.

• Meanwhile, in West Africa, Ghana announced in March plans for a $2.9 million waste-to-protein facility in Accra that will convert organic waste into valuable agricultural inputs. The project, developed through a partnership between Ghanaian firm JSO Waste and Danish companies including Insectum ApS and Michael Bundgaard Holding, will process up to 8,000 tonnes of organic waste annually into protein ingredients for animal feed and organic fertiliser.

• The initiative is part of a broader Ghana–Denmark collaboration on agricultural and agribusiness development, with financial backing from Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund and other partners. Once operational, the facility is expected to support local food systems by reducing waste, lowering feed costs for livestock and aquaculture, and creating value from organic waste streams.

• Also in March, Senegal and Cape Verde launched a joint project titled “Strengthening Senegal and Cape Verde’s capacity to control, manage and reduce plastic waste in line with the Basel Convention,” aimed at improving how both countries manage and reduce plastic pollution. Led by Senegal’s Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, the initiative focuses on strengthening institutional and technical capacity while enhancing coordination between public, private and community stakeholders.

Our take

• The projects operate at national or regional level rather than as pilots, suggesting a move toward larger-scale interventions in Africa’s circular economy pipeline.

• Each project targets a specific waste stream, organics, plastics, toxic waste or sanitation, highlighting a shift away from broad waste management toward more specialised, targeted solutions.

• These trends suggest the sector is maturing, with projects becoming more structured, targeted and aligned to scalable implementation pathways rather than fragmented, small-scale initiatives.