The automation of waste collection arrives in Africa

June 15, 2025

Kenya’s flagship smart city, Konza Technopolis, is now home to Africa’s first automated pneumatic waste collection system. Costing $8.6 million, the system is fully embedded into the city’s infrastructure, designed to handle up to 40 tonnes of daily waste for over 30,000 residents, with source separation for efficient disposal.

  • At the heart of Africa’s growing waste crisis is poor urban planning that sidelines waste management, leading to overcrowded landfills, unsanitary conditions and systems that can’t keep up with rapid urban growth.

  • New cities such as Konza show how integrating waste systems into urban design can transform waste management from a neglected utility into a cornerstone of sustainable living.

  • Our take: Africa need not wait for a tech revolution – it needs a planning revolution… Read more (2 min)

With just weeks before countries reconvene to negotiate a binding Global Plastics Treaty, Piotr Barczak, Circular Economy Programme Manager at Africa Circular, says the agreement could transform Africa. Beyond tackling waste, he says the treaty could address the continent’s role as a dumping ground for plastic waste from wealthier nations.

  • Mr Barczak believes a Global Plastics Treaty could help level the playing field by setting binding targets for plastic reduction, promoting international collaboration and encouraging innovation in plastic alternatives. 

  • In an interview, he notes the fight against plastic pollution has shifted from simple waste management to broader sustainability goals, such as reducing plastic production, improving product durability and boosting circular economy models.

  • Find the full conversation here… Read more (2 min)

Climate Fund Managers (CFM), a climate-focused blended finance investment manager, has pledged $3 million to fund a 76 MW biomass plant in Ivory Coast. The facility will be the world's first grid-connected plant to generate electricity from cocoa waste, built through a public-private partnership with SODEN, an independent power producer.

  • Ivory Coast is the world's leading producer of cocoa, contributing 45% of the global supply. Every tonne of cocoa creates more than 13 tonnes of waste, presenting an opportunity for electricity generation.

  • Africa’s expanding agricultural output generates massive organic waste, much of it unused. The Divo project highlights how this biomass can fuel clean energy, turning a disposal challenge into a climate and economic opportunity.

  • Our take: The Divo project is more than a clean energy milestone—it’s a blueprint for agro-waste innovation across Africa.…Read more (2 min)

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A mother and her child walk alongside a garbage truck at the Olusosun landfill in Nigeria

Events

🗓️ Network at the WASTE 360 conference in South Africa (July 8)

🗓️ Register for  the Conference on Circular Economy & Bioeconomy S.Africa (July 23)

🗓️ Attend the Plastics Recycling Show Middle East & Africa in Dubai (September 15)

🗓️ Take part in the ESG Africa Conference in South Africa (October 15)

🗓️ Participate in the Nature and Circularity Week in South Africa (October 20)

Jobs

👱 Serve as a Green Building Regional Lead for Africa at IFC (South Africa)

👱 Fill the position of Executive Coordinator, Programme at UNEP (Kenya)

👱 Help the UNDP implement an e-waste management project (Sierra  Leone)

👱 Apply for consultancy role for circular project at WRI (Rwanda)

👱 Work at ITU as Circular Economy Consultant (Africa)

👱 Consult for NTU International as a circular economy expert across Africa

Various 

♻️ Ghana completes second phase of program on improving e-waste recycling sector

🗑️ Global Environment Facility to fund e-waste management in Mozambique

✍️ Mauritius-based equity fund to acquire a 26% stake in Hinckley E Waste Recycling 

🤝 Zoomlion Ghana and Zanzibar partner to manage waste in the island

🌨️ New recycling initiative to minimise South Africa's impact on Antarctica

🏫 10 Billion Strong invites applications for 2025 Circular Economy Fellowship

🔊 CSA announces Green Pitch challenge for South Africans

 🎰 Yala Cleaners develops a smart waste management and plastic-to-fuel innovation

🎖️ Plastic recycling awards for Middle East and Africa launched

Seen on LinkedIn 

Eunice Braunlich, CEO of Circularise for Change, says, “After working with circular economy entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders across Africa over the past 6 years, I've identified the #1 barrier to scale: fragmented access to resources. Most entrepreneurs I have worked with spend 60-80% of their time hunting for funding, training or incubator programs instead of building their solutions.”

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