Can CivicTech Solve the “Plastic Problem” in Kampala
Using Data to Understand Recycling Behaviour with the Kajjansi Project
A rapidly growing urban population is synonymous with increased consumption and waste generation from both household and non-household sources. Inadequate access to sanitation remains a major threat to development in sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated loss of around US$177 million per year to the Uganda economy due to premature death, illness, reduced productivity and loss of time. Plastic waste, a common sight in Uganda’s urban communities (37% of the waste generated) is non-biodegradable, causing blocked drainage channels, flooding and smelly water pools that are convenient breeding grounds for disease spreading vectors.
The aim of an efficient waste management strategy is to reduce the amount of waste disposal by recycling and composting at least 60% of the waste generated with only 5% being disposed in landfills. Given the financial and technical capacity constraints facing local authorities in waste management as well as the public health risks from indiscriminately dumped and uncollected plastic waste, it is clearly time to revisit the issue of managing solid waste in a community driven, cost effective and sustainable way.
Civic Technology for Citizen Feedback
Pollicy runs a citizen-feedback channel called WeSpeak, designed to enhance communication between citizens and the government about these services, with an initial focus on sanitation, provided to the citizens. The platform leverages easily-accessible technology tools to demand for improved delivery of public services. This is achieved by utilizing a combination of USSD, Interactive Voice Response and Social Media Chatbots for seeking feedback and obtaining information on demand. Voice-based engagement is particularly important in obtaining feedback because it overcomes both language and literacy barriers.
Collecting Data to Understand the Problem
As part of our work on understanding how communities and local governments interact around accessing sanitation services in public and private spaces, we partnered with de Jonge Milieu Advies, a partner in the Kajjansi Junction Project, to understand knowledge, attitudes and practices around waste management and recycling in markets, schools and homes.
The development of a system to recycle and turn plastic waste into a resource requires an understanding of the quantity and composition of plastic waste generated in the community. And because waste segregation is not a common practice by both household and non-household generators of waste, and with no clear records at municipal landfills of the quantity and characterization of waste, particularly plastic waste, there is no substantial literature on the quantity and composition of plastic to inform the establishment of an efficient plastic waste management system. Therefore, the data collected from this pilot survey will be vital to the planned development of an efficient plastic waste management and recycling system for Kajjansi Town Council (KTC) which will serve as a model for waste management at municipal level.
Each participating school was given 2 garbage drums and the Kajjansi Junction market was provided with 4 drums into which they disposed any plastic waste generated. Plastic waste collection and weighing at the generation point was done once a week by the waste pickers using a hand scale. Weight of the plastic was recorded in kilograms.
To determine composition of the plastic waste, it was transported to a central location by the waste picker, where it was weighed a second time, sorted into agreed upon categories as described in the waste categories illustration, after which it was weighed in its various categories.
Sensitization and Awareness Campaigns
As part of our work in the community, we held interactive sensitization campaigns at our selected schools and in the markets prior to the commencement of our survey. Information on the dangers of plastic waste to the environment and public health, and how to differentiate plastic waste from all other waste for the purpose of the pilot was disseminated. In addition, IEC materials with the information where printed and distributed .
What did we discover?
Interestingly, 70% of the 78 households interviewed, reported that they are aware of recycling with more than 7 in 10 respondents reporting that they would be willing to participate in any program by the town council that aims to reduce and recycle plastic waste in their communities but would expect an incentive for their efforts. More than 9 in 10 respondents reported that they are aware of the dangers of plastic waste to the environment and public health, with more than 50% expressing serious concern about the issue.
Additionally, we were able to determine the daily amount of plastic waste generated per household, per school and from the community marketplace, as well as the breakdown of the types of plastic waste generated per target group. This enables us to better understand how residents access and utilize waste management services, given that there is no formal solid waste management strategy for Kajjansi town council.
What‘s next?
We aim to continue to work with local leaders at Kajjansi to promote WeSpeak as a source of accessing and learning about public service delivery in their communities. There is a need for sensitization campaigns on good waste management practices in an effort to enhance citizen knowledge of the environmental, health and financial benefits of plastic recycling. Efforts also need to be directed towards the establishment of a cost-effective and financially sustainable plastic waste management strategy.
For more information on WeSpeak, please reach out to us at info@pollicy.org
