Organised Recycling Actors Contributes to Waste Management
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Across Mozambique, the recycling sector has over two thousand (2,000) casual workers working to promote and advocate better waste management through organised waste collection and increased recycling activities.

Location: Maputo, Mozambique
Keywords: "Recycling"

ORGANISED RECYCLING ACTORS CONTRIBUTES TO WASTE MANAGEMENT IN MOZAMBIQUE

As a result of low-income levels, there is a strong reuse culture in Mozambique even though it is considered as a delay in the recycling chain. Maputo, Mozambique is the major location for waste production and closest to the South African recycling markets hence has a large concentration of recycling actors wherein a total of a hundred and twenty (120) tons per month are recycled. The objective of the recycling actors organising themselves was to create an opportunity to enter dialogues with the municipality and other bodies, especially on issues that affect opportunities for reclaiming materials considering that municipal plans and policies especially municipal by-laws and Master Plan for Solid Waste Management encourages partnerships and in the establishment of a sustainable local market for recyclables where they can negotiate prices and other conditions.

Majority of the organised recycling actors some of which are but not limited to are; LVIA (Lay Volunteers International Association), AMOR (Associaçāo Moçambicana de Reciclagem), RECICLA, FERTILIZA and ALMA (Associação de Limpeza e Meio- Ambiente). These various organisations are forged either as a community association, non-profit organisation, non- governmental organisation or an international cooperation set up to meet various objectives such as;

  • build awareness of communities through education to avoid and minimise pollution;
  • implement a system of integrated management of waste recycling;
  • poverty reduction, social inclusion and fighting unemployment whilst contributing to improving the environment;
  • build awareness about waste separation, recycling and sustainable management of solid and;
  • promote environmental rights.

Due to various organisational structures, funding for these organisations vary but is typically obtained from International donors, private sector partners, local institutions, foundations and the Mozambican government.

With a primary focus on AMOR, founded in 2009, the organisation promoted recycling of cardboard, paper, glass, plastic, electronic waste and cooking oil by installing infrastructure, raising awareness and providing sustainability through added value incentives. In 2012, AMOR in partnership with Cervejas de Moçambique, the major brewer of the country, a collection of small beer single -use bottles was initiated. Presently, three hundred (300,000) thousand bottles are recovered per month from the 1.3 million bottles produced and distributed per month.

Also, in 2012, broken glass recycling commenced with the support of private sector sponsorship which afforded AMOR Eco-point to buy more than two (2) tons of broken glass per month (three Meticais = 0.049 USD was paid for a kilogram of broken glass). Furthermore, a cooking oil processing unit converting used cooking oil to biodiesel was implemented in 2013 and an additional Eco-point is underway in 2014.

In conclusion, with waste generation at a thousand (1,000) tons per day and recycling activities is only recovering about a hundred and twenty (120) tons per month, there is a huge potential for recycling.

Data sources and further reading:

http://www.wiego.org/publications/mapping-policy-context-and-catadores-organizations-maputo-mozambique-0