A new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlights Africa’s potential in recycling industrial waste, which could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report, “Africa’s Wasted Potential: Unlocking industrial waste in circularity,” emphasizes the importance of addressing industrial waste, which currently contributes 30-40% of total GHG emissions in Africa. The report calls for policy reforms, infrastructure investment, and industry-led collaborations to scale up circularity practices.
The report notes that industrial waste circularity has been overlooked in Africa’s circular economy efforts, which have focused primarily on plastic and municipal waste. It stresses the need to prioritize industrial waste and treat it as a resource and development opportunity. The report suggests that by adopting circular practices, industries can lower raw material costs, improve energy efficiency, and reduce GHG emissions while creating job opportunities.
The CSE report also identifies barriers to progress, including the lack of comprehensive waste inventories on industrial waste generation. It highlights the importance of tracking material flows and identifying opportunities for circularity. A few promising solutions are emerging in different African countries, such as using waste as alternative fuels in cement plants and recycling other waste. The report presents a strategic roadmap to scale up industrial waste circularity across the continent, including creating a national waste inventory, developing waste mapping, and implementing industrial waste-focused policies.