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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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