While Algeria produced 13 million tonnes of household and similar waste (DMA) in 2018, the National Agency for Support and Development of Entrepreneurship (ANADE) has announced the establishment of a mechanism to promote investment in the collection, treatment and recycling of waste in the capital Algiers.
With its 8 million inhabitants, the capital Algiers could reach 20 million tons of waste by 2035 according to the Algerian Ministry of the Environment. To adapt to this development, the National Agency for Support and Development of Entrepreneurship (ANADE) will support the creation of several start-ups specialising in waste recovery by 2023.
This will be done through a scheme implemented with the support of the Commissariat aux énergies renouvelables et à l’efficacité énergétique (CEREFE). “Waste-to-energy has an important role to play in preserving natural resources and limiting greenhouse gas emissions,” says Nadia Chioukh, Cerefe’s Director of Cooperation and Communication.
In addition to mobilising funding for the creation of these small recycling companies, the two bodies are also focusing on raising awareness among young people by strengthening training in the field of waste management.
These various initiatives, which are in line with the Algerian government’s National Environment Strategy (NES), were announced on the sidelines of the 3rd Virtual Waste Exhibition (AVWE), which was held from 5 to 7 June 2022 under the coordination of the National Waste Agency (AND). The event will have allowed about a hundred exhibitors from Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon and South Korea, including private and public economic operators as well as researchers, to exchange on the importance of recycling and waste recovery.
Strengthening the waste management system
According to the AND, headed by Karim Ouamane, the economic exploitation of waste generates 151 billion dinars (967.5 million euros) for household waste and 18.66 billion dinars (119.3 million euros) for used tyres, oils and batteries. In order to ensure the development of this sector, the Algerian government benefits from the support of the Korean Institute of Industry and Environmental Technology (KEITI) for the realisation of various initiatives related to waste management and recovery.
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In 2021, the Budget Committee of Algeria’s National People’s Assembly (NPA) approved 33 billion Algerian dinars (over ‘211 million) in funding for the construction of an integrated waste management complex in 2022. Also, the construction of tanks 3 and 4 at the Hamici technical landfill centre (CET) in Algiers, which treats leachate (a highly concentrated liquid fraction from waste, editor’s note) with a capacity of 80 m3 per day. In the long term, these facilities will reduce the dumping of waste and air pollution in the Algerian capital.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
