Reliable data is the foundation for sound policy, targeted investment, and meaningful SDG monitoring. Yet across Africa, municipal solid waste (MSW) data has historically been inconsistent, extrapolated, or incomplete. Through the African Clean Cities Platform (ACCP), UN-Habitat has addressed this gap by applying the Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT), Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) and the Nine Development Bands (9DBs) across 30 African cities between 2020 and 2024.

The result is one of the most comprehensive, comparable datasets available on municipal solid waste systems across the continent, spanning West, Central, East, North and Southern Africa. The cities include Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire); Abuja (Nigeria); Addis Ababa (Ethiopia); Alexandria (Egypt); Bahir Dar (Ethiopia); Beni Khalled (Tunisia); Bissau (Guinea-Bissau); Bukavu (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Cape Coast (Ghana); Dakar (Senegal); Dakahlia (Egypt); Dar es Salaam (Tanzania); Freetown (Sierra Leone); Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (Uganda); Harare (Zimbabwe); Homa Bay County (Kenya); Iramba District (Tanzania); Jigjiga (Ethiopia); Kiambu (Kenya); Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Kisumu (Kenya); Kitwe (Zambia); Koidu (Sierra Leone); Lagos (Nigeria); Mombasa (Kenya); Nairobi (Kenya); Nakuru (Kenya); Sekondi-Takoradi (Ghana); Sousse (Tunisia); and Zomba (Malawi).

Scope of the assessment

Using a standardised approach, cities were assessed through:

1. WaCT: A structured 7-step methodology to quantify MSWM performance
2. WFD: Mapping waste flows and identifying leakage pathways, including plastic emissions
3. 9DBs: Categorising waste management system maturity

Together, these tools provide a full picture of how waste is generated, collected, recovered, and ultimately managed or leaked into to the environment.

What the data reveals

1.      Generation and composition

One of the most striking findings is how consistent the waste stream appears across very different urban contexts. Average waste generation across the 30 cities is 0.78 kg per capita per day, with a range from 0.38 to 1.6 kg. In 27 of the 30 cities, organic waste is the principal fraction, averaging 56% of municipal solid waste and reaching up to 80% in some cases. Dry recyclables make up roughly 30 to 40% of the waste stream, while plastics account for 12 to 18%. Despite differences in income levels and geography, waste composition patterns are remarkably consistent, highlighting shared consumption trends across the continent.

2.      Collection

Collection, however, is where a major system gap becomes visible. Average collection coverage across the 30 cities is only 48%, with a median of 52%. The contrast between city types is particularly notable: secondary cities average 28% collection coverage, while capital cities average 66%. At the lower end of the scale, Iramba records 0.6%, Kinshasa 1.6%, and Bukavu 7%. At the other end, Dakar reaches 95%, Addis Ababa 94%, and Sousse 90%. It is noted that informal settlements and peri-urban areas, as expected, remain the most underserved.

3.      Recovery

Recovery and recycling present a more mixed picture where recovery rates exceed 40% in larger cities with strong markets, but fall below 10% in remote towns. The central role of informal workers, who recover up to 70% of recyclables in some cities is also highlighted, with their contribution going beyond recycling, with many providing door-to-door collection, awareness raising and clean-ups as well. At the same time, approaches such as mechanical biological treatment (MBT) and composting are emerging, but remain limited.

4.      Disposal

Perhaps the most striking finding is the state of disposal. In 22 of the 30 cities, uncontrolled disposal is still the norm. Only 38% of collected waste goes to controlled sites, and only 5 assessed cities meet basic level of control as stipulated by the WaCT. Plastic leakage is also shown to be severe, with an average of 42% unmanaged plastic, rising to 80% or more in the worst cases. Additionally, open burning occurs in 16 cities, particularly in low-coverage areas where collection falls below 30%. The result is widespread leakage into the environment, affecting waterways, increasing flooding risk, and contributing to air pollution and public health impacts.

The need for standardised data

When cities begin to measure waste in a consistent way - such as implementing the WaCT, WFD, and 9DBs - they are no longer working in isolation. Instead, they contribute to a shared, measurable and comparable evidence base that helps cities move beyond assumptions, reveals the scale of the challenge, learn from each other to support improved planning, benchmarking and investment decisions and move closer towards solutions.

Call to action

The key recommendations highlighted for the continent are:

1. Extending collection coverage, especially in underserved areas;
2. Promoting wet-dry segregation to improve material recovery;
3. Supporting decentralised and community-level recovery options such as composting, BSFL and biogas;
4. Recognising and integrating the informal sector;
5. Upgrading uncontrolled dumps to at least a basic level of control;
6. Strengthening value chains and policy tools such as EPR;
7. Eliminating open burning through better services and awareness.

It also calls for WaCT to be institutionalised for regular monitoring, for MSWM to be linked to climate, NDC and methane reduction agendas, and for peer learning and data-driven planning to be expanded across Africa.

Shared learning

When cities use reliable and comparable data, waste systems become easier to understand, easier to benchmark, and easier to improve. In that sense, the ACCP work is not only revealing the scale of the challenge across 30 African cities, but it is also showing what a stronger foundation for action can look like.

References

1. UN-Habitat. (2025). When waste speaks: What ACCP’s data collection has revealed so far. African Clean Cities Platform. Link

Tanzania is undergoing rapid urban transformation. The urban population has grown from just 788,000 in 1967 to over 54 million in 2018 (ACCP, 2018; UN-Habitat, 2023), placing increasing pressure on municipal systems, particularly solid waste management (SWM), with increasing waste volumes.

Historically, Tanzania’s SWM system has been shaped by strong local government involvement, with responsibility sitting under the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government, supported by multiple ministries and policies. While progress has been made – particularly in improving urban cleanliness through infrastructure investment and public awareness – challenges remain around data availability, system coordination, and prioritisation of investments.

This is where tools such as the Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT) and the Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) are beginning to play a more central role.

Iramba District

Within this national context, Iramba District stands out as a practical example of how these tools are being applied on the ground. Selected under the African Clean Cities Platform (ACCP) for the Do-It-Yourself application of WaCT, Iramba is using these methodologies with technical support from UN-Habitat.

For districts with limited baseline data, this provides a critical starting point, moving from assumptions to evidence-based planning. By quantifying how waste is generated, collected and managed, and where it is leaked into the environment, local authorities are better positioned to prioritise interventions and engage with national programmes and development partners.

Coordinated national support and investment opportunities 

Importantly, the use of WaCT and WFD in Tanzania is not happening in isolation. A wide range of partners are involved (UN agencies, bilateral donors, development banks, academic institutions, and local authorities) working together to strengthen both infrastructure and institutional capacity.

• In Dar es Salaam, the Dar Safi, Bahari Safi Project (EUR 5.9 million, funded by BMZ) is targeting marine litter by strengthening the city’s waste management system through policy, capacity building and infrastructure.
• In Kigoma Region, the United Nations Joint Programme Phase II (USD 5.41 million) is improving resilience and livelihoods through WASH and land-use planning.
• Additional programmes, including a USD 3 million urban economic development initiative, further demonstrate how waste management is being addressed alongside broader urban systems.

These investments build on earlier donor-supported programmes, including World Bank urban development projects, JICA implemented SWM studies, and long-standing UN-Habitat engagement in participatory waste planning.

A shared national picture

Tanzania’s experience demonstrates that strengthening waste management is not a single-project effort. It requires:

• Local diagnostics
• National frameworks
• Cross-city learning
• Coordinated donor engagement

As districts like Iramba apply WaCT and WFD to understand their systems, and cities such as Dar es Salaam, Kigoma and Mwanza implement large-scale programmes, a broader picture begins to emerge. Using shared methodologies allows data to be consistent, comparable and scalable across cities.

This shifts waste management away from isolated interventions towards a more structured, national approach, where data informs policy, policy guides investment, and investment delivers measurable outcomes.

The key takeaway becomes clear - when baseline data tools, coordinated partnerships and sustained investment come together they help build a coherent national pathway for urban waste management.

References

1. African Clean Cities Platform. (2019). Tanzania Country Data Book. Link
2. UN-Habitat. (2023). Tanzania Country Brief. Link

Cities seeking to strengthen their solid waste management systems often face a common challenge: translating system assessments into concrete investments. Recent experience from Nairobi, Kenya illustrates how baseline data and structured frameworks can support this transition.

In Nairobi, the Waste Wise Korogocho Chapter is being implemented by UN-Habitat with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and in collaboration with the Kenyan Government. The initiative was officially launched during the second session of the UN-Habitat Assembly and forms part of a broader set of environmental and urban development investments in the city.

Baseline Data to Targeted Investment

As part of the Waste Wise Circular Water Chapter, the Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT) and Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) were used to establish a baseline understanding of municipal solid waste generation, collection, and recovery. These assessments highlighted the need for improved waste sorting and recovery infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas.

Based on this evidence, AICS funded UN-Habitat to develop a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Korogocho, one of Nairobi’s informal settlements. The project is currently ongoing and represents a targeted response to gaps identified through system-level data.

Linking Data, Policy and Financing

The initiative is implemented within the framework of the Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) framework developed by the Nairobi County Government, helping to align investment with local policy and planning priorities.

The Waste Wise Circular Water Chapter is part of a wider package of interventions in Korogocho supported through the Italian Cooperation’s debt conversion programme, with a total value of approximately €46 million. Within this context, the waste management component is positioned as a pilot initiative, with potential for replication.

Why This Matters

This example demonstrates how WaCT and WFD assessments can help:

• Translate baseline data into bankable infrastructure investments
• Support alignment between donor funding and local government frameworks
• Identify priority interventions such as sorting and recovery facilities
• Provide a structured foundation for pilot projects with scaling potential

For cities looking to strengthen their waste management systems, Nairobi’s experience highlights the value of combining standardised data tools, local governance frameworks, and targeted financing to move from analysis to implementation.

References

1. AICS Nairobi (2023) Kenya, Italy at the forefront of the environmental sector: the ‘Waste Wise’ initiative is underway with UN HABITAT and the Kenyan government, 7 June. Available at: Link

Waste management is a public health service. When waste is collected, recovered, and disposed of in a controlled way, it protects communities, workers, and the environment by preventing disease vectors, limiting exposure to hazardous materials, reducing emissions, and keeping public spaces safe.

The most severe health, environmental, and social impacts arise when waste goes unmanaged. Inadequate collection, uncontrolled recovery operations, and open dumping or burning contribute to widespread exposure and are often concentrated in underserved areas and informal settlements.

In these contexts, communities are frequently left to self-manage their waste through open dumping or burning, while informal waste workers handle materials directly without protective measures. Both groups face elevated risks - particularly those living near uncontrolled recovery sites, disposal facilities, or unmanaged waste hotspots, where exposure to physical, chemical, biological, and psychological hazards is highest (WHO, 2025).

Some of the most impactful way for governments to reduce these risks is to make and attract targeted “no-regret” investments that reduce uncollected and unmanaged waste in the environment. These include:

1. Expanding Reliable Waste Collection in Underserved Areas

Expanding reliable collection services is one of the most impactful and immediate actions cities can take to reduce unmanaged waste. When waste is not collected regularly, households are left to self-manage their waste, often through open dumping or burning. These practices expose communities to smoke, contaminated soils and water, disease vectors, and accumulated waste in the environment. Improving collection coverage prevents waste build-up in neighbourhoods, reduces direct exposure, and avoids the need for harmful self-disposal practices.

2. Strengthening Recovery Waste Value Chains

Strengthening recovery systems, including sorting, recycling and organic waste processing, keeps materials out of disposal sites and reduces the volume of waste requiring final treatment. When recovery operations are uncontrolled or informal, workers often handle waste directly without protective measures and downstream markets operate with limited environmental controls. This increases occupational risks and limits the system’s overall performance. Improving safety, market linkages, and operational control levels - according to the Wastewise Cities Tool (WaCT) - within these value chains enhances resource recovery, reduces environmental leakage, and lowers exposure risks for workers and nearby communities.

3. Upgrading Disposal Sites to Basic Control Levels

Upgrading disposal sites from uncontrolled dumps to at least a basic level of engineered control significantly reduces environmental and health risks. Uncontrolled dumpsites are often associated with open burning, leachate contamination, vector breeding, and direct human exposure. Introducing even basic measures such as site delineation, daily cover, access control and minimal leachate management reduces uncontrolled emissions, prevents open dumping and burning, and limits public access to hazardous areas. These upgrades are essential for reducing long-term exposure risks for both local communities and waste workers.

How the WFD Can Support These Investments

The Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) provides governments and practitioners with a structured way to:

• Identify where unmanaged waste occurs;
• Assess levels of control across collection, recovery, and disposal;
• Quantify leakage pathways relevant to public health and SDG 11.6.1 reporting.

The WFD is also harmonised with the WaCT methodology, which allows cities to collect baseline data collection on a cities waste management system, providing the data needed in order assess waste flows and identify weaknesses in collection, recovery and disposal to design scenarios that can strengthen these elements.

Join the Discussion

If your city, organisation, or project has expanded collection into underserved neighbourhoods, upgraded recovery or disposal facilities, integrated informal workers into safer recovery value chains, or reduced open burning or open dumping, then share your experience below. Practical examples, even at small scale, can help other cities shift toward healthier and safer waste systems.

References

World Health Organization. (2025). Throwing Away Our Health: the impact of solid waste on human health - evidence, knowledge gaps, and health sector responses. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wash-documents/throwing-away-our-health-19-dec-25.pdf?sfvrsn=1c0ffac2_3&download=true

This challenge invites solutions that enhance the technical, operational, financial, and data dimensions of recovery systems, helping cities unlock higher recycling rates and better reporting.

The Challenge

• Propose a solution: What upgrades or interventions could significantly improve the performance, safety, traceability or output quality of recovery facilities in your city, region, or sector? Consider technical, operational, financial, regulatory, behavioural, and market-driven levers.
• Share a proven solution: Have you worked on or observed an initiative that successfully upgraded a MRF, waste bank, cooperative, junk shop, or community-based recovery enterprise? What made it successful? How were bottlenecks addressed? What lessons can others adapt?

Key Criteria

When writing your response, consider some of the following dimensions that influence performance:

• Infrastructure and technology: How did the facility upgrade its sorting capability, handling capacity, contamination control, safety equipment, or material recovery efficiency?
• Informal working arrangements: Were informal workers or waste pickers integrated into operations?
• Market and downstream linkages: Were new buyers, offtake agreements, or standards leveraged to ensure demand for recovered materials?
• Feedstock and contamination control: Did upstream improvements (household separation, commercial collection, communication) influence material quality or throughput? How were contamination thresholds managed?

Challenge Timeline

Start Date: 19 January 2026
Submission Deadline: 20 February 2026
Discussion Period: Ongoing

Recognition and Next Steps

Top contributors will be featured in the forum and community updates, and successful solutions may be highlighted as case studies or best practices on the WFD platform.

Get Started

Use this thread to post ideas, share examples, ask questions, and collaborate. Together, let’s strengthen recovery systems and help cities achieve SDG 11.6.1 through successful, practical and scalable upgrades.

Mombasa is Kenya’s second-largest city, home to over 1.2 million people. It deals with high population density, limited disposal capacity and significant plastic leakage into the environment and generates around 708 tonnes/day of waste. The Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) and Wastewise Cities Tool (WaCT) assessments were carried out and which highlighted that over half (51%) of all plastic waste remains unmanaged, with nearly 10,000 tonnes/year leaking into the environment. As a coastal city, these figures highlight the pressure placed on both land and marine ecosystems.

Despite these challenges, Mombasa has made noticeable progress in strengthening its solid waste management (SWM) system. Below is a short overview of the actions carried out by the County Government and development partners to take Mombasa in the right direction.

1. County Government Leadership

• Solid Waste Management Act (2021): This legislation provides the guiding framework for how waste should be managed across the county. It outlines roles, responsibilities, and expectations for service delivery, supporting the city’s aim to improve municipal waste management;
• Registration and licensing of waste collectors: The County Government has introduced a structured process for registering and licensing companies, individuals, and groups involved in waste collection, helping formalise the sector and improve service organisation;
• Construction of an MRF in Mvita: The County has constructed a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in the Mvita area. This supports formal sorting and recovery activities, important in a system where only 40.5 tonnes/day of waste are currently sorted for recovery.

2. Support From Partners

Mombasa has benefited from several partnerships that have provided technical and financial support.

• WWF & Coca-Cola Foundation: Their work in the city has includes building a second MRF in Likoni, training and capacity building for waste collectors, provision of PPE, support for motorised waste collection equipment and helping collectors form associations/cooperatives. These interventions have supported both the efficiency of the system and the livelihoods of those working in it.
• European Investment Bank (EIB): The EIB funded a feasibility study on wider MSWM system, focused on improvements across Mombasa’s entire municipal solid waste management system.

3. Data Insights

The WFD and WaCT assessments how the following key baseline data points:

• Total MSW generation: 708 tonnes/day
• Collection rate: 56%
• MSW sent to disposal: 355 tonnes/day
• Recovered material: 40.5 tonnes/day
• Controlled facilities: 4% of MSW
• Plastic in the waste stream: 7.54%
• Plastic leakage: 9,961 tonnes/year unmanaged
• Plastic to water systems: the equivalent of 3 kg/person/year or 99 PET bottles per person

Major leakages also are attributed to uncollected waste, leakage within the collection system and at point of disposal. The city disposes of waste across five recognised disposal sites, including the main site at Mwakirunge, all of which are uncontrolled disposal sites.

This data has already been used to inform discussions at international events and guide the development of new investment proposals.

4. Key Takeaways for Other Cities

Mombasa’s experience shows that even without a complete overhaul, several practical actions can strengthen a city’s waste system with the first being the collection of baseline data, using the WFD and WaCT methodologies to identify their biggest leakage points. Key lessons include:

• Start with accurate baseline data: Tools such as the WFD and WaCT help cities clearly identify leakage hotspots and quantify system performance.
• Formalise and regulate the collection workforce: Licensing and clearer operational rules help improve service delivery.
• Increase sorting capacity: New MRFs in Mvita and Likoni provide additional opportunities for recovery and reduce pressure on uncontrolled disposal sites.
• Support the informal sector: Training, PPE, equipment support and the formation of cooperatives strengthen the value chain and improve working conditions.

Mombasa still faces challenges, but the combination of county leadership, targeted investments and good baseline data provides a strong foundation for next steps. Other cities, especially coastal ones with similar pressures, may find useful lessons here as they work towards reducing leakage and improving overall system performance.

Located in south-eastern Kenya, Taita Taveta County is known for its scenic landscapes and growing urban areas such as Voi, Wundanyi, and Taveta. In 2022, the County Government of Taita Taveta partnered with UN-Habitat to implement the Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT), the Waste Flow Diagram (WFD), and the Wasteaware Benchmark Indicators (WABIs), giving local authorities a baseline and a complete picture of how waste moved through the system, from generation to final disposal. The findings provided the county with its first comprehensive, data-driven overview of the solid waste situation.

Results of the WFD and WaCT

The WFD and WaCT revealed that most of Taita Taveta’s waste was being disposed of in open dumpsites or informal areas, with limited segregation at source and minimal recovery of recyclable materials. Only a small proportion of waste was formally collected and the county faced challenges related to transport, storage, and environmental pollution.

By quantifying the collection rates, recovery percentages and leakage points, the WFD helped local officials see where improvements were urgently needed. This visual approach made it easier to communicate technical findings to decision-makers, community leaders and development partners.

The data became the foundation for the county’s Municipal Solid Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan, developed with support from UN-Habitat in 2023. The strategy outlines the following priorities:

• Strengthening waste collection systems and logistics;
• Establishing controlled disposal sites;
• Enhancing recycling and composting capacity;
• Supporting the integration of informal waste workers.

Pinpointing investment and infrastructure development

One of the most significant steps emerging from this process is the planned establishment of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Taita Taveta. The facility will be owned by the county and operated by an umbrella organisation of waste picker groups that will help formalise livelihoods while improving recycling rates.

This initiative reflects one of the key strengths of using this trilogy of tools (WaCT, WFD, and WABIs) and its ability to link baseline data directly to investment and infrastructure planning. By providing an accurate picture of waste composition and recovery potential, the assessment gave the county the evidence needed to prioritise the MRF and attract technical and financial support.

Lessons from Taita Taveta

Taita Taveta’s experience shows how local data can be used to guide practical, county-level action. Beyond producing a report, the process also helped strengthen local capacity by training county officers, community members and youth groups in waste characterisation, data collection and analysis. This ensures that the benefits of the assessment will extend beyond a single study.

References

1. UN-Habitat. (2023) Municipal Solid Waste Management Strategy. Nairobi: United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Available at: https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2023/05/municipal_solid_waste_management_strategy_-_web_version.pdf
2. UN-Habitat. (2023) Municipal Solid Waste Management Audit Report for Taita Taveta County. Nairobi: United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Available at: https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2023/03/taita_taveta_waste_audit_report_-_final_2.pdf

The new standard in waste management is fast transitioning to reduction, including refill and reuse. Upstream solutions aim to reduce waste before it’s even created by rethinking the products we use, how we use them, and how they’re made and delivered. These interventions, ranging from policy changes and product redesign to social campaigns and business model innovation have the potential to deliver lasting impact and build more circular, low-waste economies.

This challenge invites you to explore upstream strategies that have successfully reduced waste generation at scale or propose new, ambitious ideas to do so.

The Challenge

• Propose a solution: What upstream interventions could effectively reduce waste generation in your city, region, or sector? Think about policy, regulation, redesign, behaviour change, or producer responsibility.
• Share a proven solution: Have you worked on or seen a project that successfully reduced the volume of waste generated, particularly single-use or non-recyclable waste? What made it successful? What can others learn from it?

Key Criteria

When writing your response, consider the following:

• Policy frameworks: What policies have successfully discouraged unnecessary packaging or single-use items? Have bans, taxes, or incentives worked in practice?
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): How can shifting responsibility upstream, onto manufacturers or importers, drive waste reduction and better product design?
• Behaviour change: What interventions have shifted consumer habits toward reuse or refill?
• Business models: Are there innovative businesses or social enterprises that have reduced waste through deposit return schemes, product-as-a-service approaches, rental systems?

Challenge Timeline

Start Date: 13 October 2025
Submission Deadline: Ongoing

Recognition and Next Steps

Top contributors will be featured in the forum and community updates, and successful solutions may be highlighted as case studies or best practices on the WFD platform.

Get Started

Use this thread to post your ideas, ask questions, and collaborate to find practical and innovative solutions to reducing waste!

This challenge invites you to explore new and effective ways to prevent open dumping before it happens rather than just reacting to the problem.

The Challenge

• Propose a solution: How can municipalities, businesses, and communities prevent open dumping rather than just responding to it? Your proposal can focus on incentives, public awareness campaigns, reporting mechanisms, technology solutions, or regulatory frameworks.
• Share a proven solution: Have you seen or worked on a project where open dumping was significantly reduced through prevention-focused strategies? Share how the approach worked, what key factors made it successful, and any lessons learned.

Key Criteria

When writing your response, consider the following:

• Behaviour change: What motivates people to openly dump their waste, and how can that behaviour be shifted?
• Financial incentives: Could waste collection subsidies, fines, or rewards for proper disposal help?
• Technology and data: Can mobile apps, surveillance, or data analytics play a role in reducing dumping?
• Infrastructure and access: Are there alternative collection points or services that can reduce open dumping?
• Community involvement: How can local residents or businesses help prevent open dumping in their areas?

Challenge Timeline

Start Date: 30 July 2025

Submission Deadline: 31 July 2025

Discussion Period: Ongoing

Recognition and Next Steps

Top contributors will be featured in the forum and community updates, and successful solutions may be highlighted as case studies or best practices on the WFD platform.

Get Started

Use this thread to post your ideas, ask questions, and collaborate. Let’s work together to tackle open dumping with innovative and practical solutions!