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Urban mining can strengthen critical mineral supply chains

September 16, 2026

Dear subscriber,

Rapid digitisation across Africa is fueling a surge in e-waste rich in critical minerals. At the same time, global supply chains are under pressure to secure the same raw materials. It’s not hard to see the potential. 

Mercy Maina – Editor

Africa’s accelerating digital transition is turning discarded electronics into a potential source of secondary raw materials. Kenya’s e-waste contained at least $48 million worth of metals in 2025, according to its National E-waste Monitor, published this month. Yet just 5.2% entered formal collection and recycling systems.

  • Africa generated 3.5 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, creating a substantial stock of potentially recoverable materials across the continent, yet only 0.7% was formally collected and recycled. 

  • As demand for critical minerals grows and global supply chains remain concentrated, recovering these materials from e-waste can give African industry a valuable secondary source closer to home. 

  • Our take: Urban mining can strengthen African supply chains only if countries develop the capacity to process recovered materials into inputs for local industry… Read more (2 min)

Water and wastewater roles dominate this month’s job board, accounting for 16 of the 50 advertised roles. The openings span specialist positions across five countries, with employers ranging from engineering consultancies and mining companies to water firms, manufacturers and development organisations.

  • Ireland-headquartered engineering and environmental consultancy Nicholas O’Dwyer leads in wastewater hiring, accounting for eight of the 16 water and wastewater roles. The company is recruiting wastewater engineers to support the technical delivery of wastewater infrastructure projects across Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa. 

  • Overall, southern Africa dominates with 21 roles, with South Africa taking on 16. US-based government and commercial services contractor Amentum is the biggest recruiter, with 11 roles in East Africa, followed closely by Nicholas O’Dwyer with eight. 

  • Apply for these roles here (2 min) 

Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing push is gaining momentum, with Ugandan manufacturer Dei BioPharma now approved as a registered supplier under an Africa CDC procurement mechanism. As pharmaceutical production scales up, the resulting growth in waste and material streams will create a new market for circular-economy businesses.

  • With nearly 700 active manufacturers, the continent aims to double its drug production capacity as the pharmaceutical market is projected to grow from $30 billion to $50 billion by 2030. 

  • The expansion will create demand for businesses that help pharmaceutical manufacturers recover resources, reduce waste and lower production costs, opening a new commercial layer around Africa's growing drug-manufacturing industry.

  • Our take: The continent has a window to build circularity alongside its pharmaceutical industry rather than retrofit it later…Read more (2 min)

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Source: Freee Recycle

Freee Recycle secures Dutch grant for Nigeria’s first aerosol recycling plant

Events

🫂 Connect with peers at the 11th Circular Economy Conference in Kenya (Sept 30)

📦 Sign up for the 6th Africa International E-Waste Conference in Kenya (Oct 15)

🪪 Network at WasteCon 2026 in South Africa (Oct 20)

🤝 Participate in the African Biochar Alliance Summit in Zambia (Oct 27)

✍️ Register for the Biomass Briquettes & Bioenergy Conference in Kenya (Oct 29)

📅 Attend the 2nd Annual ESG & Climate Africa Summit in Kenya (Nov 24)

Various 

💰 Nigerian company secures Dutch grant for country’s first aerosol recycling plant

🥑 Global food waste management market to reach $175. billion by 2035 

⛳ How western consumption becomes the Global South’s environmental nightmare 

💈 Advanced waste management could cut Egypt’s net GHG emissions by up to 67%

🐠 As catches dwindle, Congo River fishermen turn to plastic waste

🏭 Lagos, Ogun’s waste-to-energy ambition on the slab as refuse crisis deepens

Seen on LinkedIn 

The Flipflopi Project, an East African movement to end single-use plastics, says, “Magunia — the ubiquitous woven plastic sack used across Kenya for everything from cement to charcoal — is one of the hardest waste streams we handle: low value, inconsistently manufactured, frequently contaminated, and prone to breaking down into microplastic in the sun.”