The National Circular Economy Action Plan in Rwanda was launched on 6 December 2022, on the sidelines of the recently concluded World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) in the Rwandan capital Kigali. This policy, implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will be spread over 14 years with an investment of 211 million dollars.
Rwanda’s national circular economy action plan will cover the waste, water, agriculture, textile, transport, construction and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors.
Sustainable waste management
The Rwandan authorities believe that this new strategy will enable the country to place the circular economy at the heart of all economic decisions and projects by 2035. And by 2050, to enable Rwanda to achieve carbon neutrality while contributing to climate change resilience.
Rwanda already recovers used plastics, notably through recycling plants such as the one located in Mageragere, in the Nyarugenge district, which transforms plastic waste into building paving stones. In the capital Kigali, a project launched in March 2022 will allow the transformation of at least 70% of organic waste from the Nduba landfill into fertiliser. Electronic waste is not left out. Rwanda’s new circular economy strategy will enable the government to strengthen its actions. “The main focus will be to ensure that waste is collected separately and sorted into high quality waste fractions which are essential prerequisites for a higher recovery rate in all waste streams,” explains Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Rwanda’s Minister of the Environment.
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Rwanda’s National Action Plan on the Circular Economy will also help to secure the country’s water supply through resource rationalisation. The country also plans to embark on the use of non-conventional water resources. With a population of 12.5 million, the country is facing a drought that has affected the whole of East Africa for several years.
The Rwandan government will also invest in the development of sustainable agriculture. Beyond the valorisation of agricultural waste, the funds will be used to produce food based on regenerative and resource-saving principles, to integrate closed loops into agricultural operations and to optimise transport and storage to reduce post-harvest losses.
Promoting green building
For the Rwandan authorities, the development of the circular economy will also require collaboration between public and private sector actors, academia, civil society and the population. Economic and labour criteria, the political landscape and visions, and the involvement of women and youth will have to be taken into account.
In order to make a successful transition to the circular economy, Rwanda is also focusing on building resilient and inclusive infrastructure. This includes housing that will reduce water and electricity consumption and waste generation. In addition, these buildings will have to be connected to a wastewater and rainwater collection system.
In June 2021, Kigali signed letters of intent with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to participate in its “green cities” action programme. The organisation plans to help participating countries use geo-referenced data and other indicators to “provide a rapid and systematic understanding of potential vulnerabilities to shocks, identify potential biodiversity hotspots, and strategically map food retail environments to boost access to nutritious food where it is lacking,” says the FAO. Local governments will also be supported in promoting rooftop and backyard gardens, vertical farms in abandoned structures and high-tech aquaculture. Local people will also be trained to exploit these opportunities.
Inès Magoum