My visit to the Nkumba landfill that services Entebbe Municipality was a huge lightbulb moment for me. The ‘after waste is disposed into the landfill’ value chain needs documenting and wider appreciation. It is a crucial service, without which we wouldn’t enjoy clean environments in our homes and public spheres.

It is a significant source of livelihoods for a significant number of households in urban centres. Potentially, it could be a solution to multiple challenges that Entebbe faces. Managed well and well resourced, it could solve:

• Youth unemployment – Loads of garbage unsorted needs sorting. There is a need for innovators to come up with more efficient ways in which sorting of garbage can be done. There is need for innovation on how to permanently and safely destroy garbage that doesn’t decompose and at the same time cannot be recycled and or reused.

• Municipal revenue collection – Taxes for garbage collection. Fines for violation of garbage laws, for example, sort the garbage at disposal. Fines for dumping of medical waste in landfills, and others.

• Environment degradation or destruction reduced – If point one and two above are implemented then there will be less or no environment degradation or pollution as a result of waste in landfill.

• Livelihood challenges for poor households reduced – Related to point one above. Along the entire value chain there are opportunities for income earning – sorting, selling re-usable waste, recycling, repurposing, and many more.

• Public health concerns reduced – If the prior points are implemented then the risks of polluting our air and water is reduced; and as well the risks of spreading diseases from irresponsibly disposed off dangerous waste is reduced.

We intend to explore this further with young adults under our mentorship. We intend so in the hope of inspiring them to look into it and identify ways to make the value chain more effective and profitable for poor households, especially those surviving on scavenging.

Do you think that this is a good idea? Please share your thoughts through comment to this post.