RIPE FOR THE PICKING
Formalizing Tanzania's informal system of waste collection and recycling offers a new solution, leaving traditional disposal methods to waste away in the dumpsites.
In recent years, Dar es Salaam has twice been ranked among the world's top-15 dirtiest cities. On average, 700,000 tons of waste are produced annually in Tanzania's former capital.
Considering New York City residents dispose of 12,000 tons per day, or 4.38 million tons annually, this figure pales in comparison. However, Dar es Salaam lacks the disposal facilities of other capital cities, and, with a population set to more than double by the year 2050, waste management will become one of the government's more critical challenges. Dar es Salaam administrators moved main dumpsites four times in the past 20 years, as the city's borders have expanded to accommodate new arrivals. Still, a look into the heart of the city could offer a more effective solution.
An estimated 1,300 “waste pickers” scour the streets on a daily basis, collecting rubbish for recycling. The average waste picker works between eight and 12 hours per day, covering 10-15km, and handles between five and seven kg per trip.
Collected waste is traded at informal recycling transfer stations, for around TZS100 (USD0.04) per kilo. Most collected waste is hard plastic, but pickers mix this with paper, cardboard, metal, bones, and glass. Waste is then sold to companies that trade in waste, usually for around TZS200 (USD0.09) per kilo.
The ILO estimates that 15-20 million people worldwide earn their livings from recycling waste. With every ton of refuse generating 12 jobs daily, waste is a vital source of job creation for many countries with high unemployment rates.
Furthermore, the World Bank estimates that 20-50% of municipal budgets globally are spent on waste management. If informal waste pickers in Dar es Salaam are given the necessary tools to optimize their trade, they would have the capacity to recycle more than 25.34 tons per day, well over the city's current waste generation of 4.26 tons per day.
With successful management and mobilization, waste pickers could contribute considerably to the fight against environmental degradation, as well as improve public health and sanitation. Moreover, with successful formalization, the waste market could contribute to the economies of developing countries.
In Tanzania, the average waste picker's earnings hover around USD108 per month, 40% higher than the country's formal monthly minimum wage. Bringing these workers into the formal economy would lead to fiscal contributions to the government's balance sheet, and waste pickers would gain access to benefits like social security and union membership.
However, more needs to be done to harness workers' capacity through optimizing mutually beneficial results. Most of the city's waste pickers use non-motorized transport, making their journeys slow and cumbersome. Providing transport and proper equipment could increase efficiency. Also, there is opportunity to expand the types of materials recycled; currently, waste transfer stations do not deal in textiles, fiber plastics, or tires.
Matthew Haden, from Dar es Salaam-based company The Recycler, revealed the company's plans to scale up informal waste collection, stating, “By scaling the informal collectors, allowing them to collect more material and more efficiently and by giving them the necessary tools so they are able to add value to different material, we will be able to make a big difference to the recycling proposition in Tanzania.” For example, “Currently, the value of collecting paper waste is too low to make business sense. However, if we were to increase the value by enabling processing in country, it could be bought at a higher price.”
Reducing access to waste due to privatization is one of the biggest threats to waste pickers' livelihoods. Also, exploitation by “middle men,” intermediaries who trade waste from informal channels to export companies, is rife. A supportive policy environment, therefore, could further improve the lives of thousands of informal workers.
Interventions that help formalize the industry have the potential for massive positive impact on emerging cities like Dar es Salaam.
RIPE FOR THE PICKING
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
read article