Value for Waste

The project has facilitated business development, focusing on increasing knowledge about waste management, financial management and establishing market linkage to secure a circular value chain.

Meki and Batu

The Meki Catholic Secretariat (MCS) has conducted public waste management awareness campaigns. During the market day organised by the school community, the message was shared with more than 75 men and 125 women.

Numbers May (Batu):

• Collection: PET 10 366 kg, paper 3272 kg, HDPE 317 kg, metal scrap 2007 kg, house hold waste 393 kg
• Bailed: PET 103 kg and paper 32 kg
• Sales: ETB 186 588 PET and ETB 55 624 paper

Numbers May (Meki):

• Collection: PET 2918 kg and paper 290 kg

The small-scale micro entreprises (SME) in Batu and Meki have engaged in capacity building trainings on waste management, personal safety and protection, and business mindset. The groups shared experiences with the value 4 waste project, as well as ideas for strengthening the work on composting.

Numbers April (Batu):

• Collection: PET 5011 kg, paper 579 kg, metal scrap 314 kg
• Bailed: PET 17
• Sales: ETB 29 700

Numbers April (Shashemene):

• Collection: PET 370 kg, paper 1630 kg
• Bailed: PET 8, paper 32
• Sales: ETB 50 020

Numbers April (Meki):

• Collection: PET 1300 kg, paper 310 kg, metal scrap 300 kg

The international day of Zero Waste at 30 March was celebrated in Batu town. The Mayor, the environment protection office, and Batu town residents gathered for a cleaner city. Together, they collected more than 5000 kg of mixed waste.

The project group (Meki Catholic Secretariat and Norwegian Church Aid) has agreed with Oromia State University in Batu on future partnership. The cooperation encompasses job creation opportunity for low-income women from the university student’s disposed PET bottles for upcycling and recycling use, and leftovers food for compost making.

Numbers March, kg collected (Meki and Batu)

• PET: 14 189 kg
• Paper: 1086 kg
• HDPE: 555 kg
• Metal scrap: 329 kg
• House Hold Waste collection: 175 kg
• Bailing: PET 133 and paper 23 kg
• Sales: ETB 98 562

Since our last update, the small-scale micro entreprises (SME) in all three cities have established good collection network and recording. Some SME, with support from the technical working group (TWG), prepare for production of organic compost, made from effective micro-organism.

Numbers February, kg collected (Meki and Batu):

• PET: 8600 kg
• Paper: 2257 kg
• HDPE: 600 kg
• Metal scrap: 1508 kg
• Household waste: 0 kg

Numbers February (Shashemene):

• Collection: 3807 kg PET and 6045 kg paper
• Bailed: PET 26 bail and paper 88 bail
• Sales, ETB: 77 480 (paper)

In Batu and Meki, the project employs formal and informal collectors, with high focus on women, youth and people with disabilities. In addition to collecting several types of recyclable wastes, the small-scale micro entreprise (SME) consider composting and evaluate different upcycling activities. The technical working group (TWG) is in progress of procuring a bailing machine, a Bajaj (bike), and develop information material about waste and recycling for communities and schools.

Numbers December and January, kg collected (Meki and Batu):

• PET: 16 477 kg
• Paper: 3818 kg
• HDPE: 1524 kg
• Metal scrap: 4347 kg
• Household waste: 430 kg

In Batu and Meki, the project employs 20 collectors and 80 informal collectors through small-scale micro entreprises (SME). The project group conducts regular follow-up meeting to support and ensure safe and well-functioned implementation of the project.

The SME are confronted with challenges such as continuously rising transport costs, high market competition, decreasing sales prices, and regional instability which affect collection and income. Despite these obstacles, collection volumes are promising.

Numbers November, kg collected (Meki and Batu):

• PET: 5780 kg
• Paper: 890 kg
• HDPE: 531 kg
• Metal scrap: 2415 kg
• Household waste: 450 kg

Collaborative start-up in Batu and Meki

The group has connected with established, legalised SME collectors in both towns.

Together, the SME and project group have agreed to refine internal guidelines, such as  collection systems, financial management, and benefit-sharing methods, identified through the SWOT analysis. The SME operates with organised members and informal collectors, utilising carts, bajae and one rental car, and have started collecting different recyclable wastes.

The town administration office has assigned a committee to identify working areas and facilities, encompassing aspects like electricity and water supply for the SME.

Upscaling the value for waste initiative

As the Shashemene project progresses, he cities of Meki and Batu are monitored for implementation of the value for waste initiative. The daily waste generation in these two towns is estimated to be 23 tons. However, both locations lack established integrated solid waste management systems. A gap analysis highlights significant environmental concerns, particularly regarding organic wastes, plastics (PET bottles, HDPE, LDPE), paper waste, and metal scraps.

With valuable insights from the pilot in Shashemene, the project group, comprising NCA (Norwegian Church aid) and the local partner MCS (Meki Catholic Secretariat), has actively engaged in a series of project meetings. The discussions delve into details of project implementation, such as creation of technical working teams (TWT), establishment of small-scale micro entreprises (SME), SWOT analysis, and discussion on activity reporting formats and standards.

The pilot project coming to its ending phase, reporting a total of 59 545 kg PET bottles and 51 705 kg paper collected, and sales amounting to EUR 25 075. This is a lot of waste that has been turned into a resource that generates income and creates jobs and no longer pollutes the town of Shashemene. The project has facilitated business development with a focus on increasing knowledge about waste management, marketing, financial management and establishing market linkage to secure a circular value chain.

Key achievements:

• total 59 545 kg PET collected
• total 51 705 kg PAPER collected
• 20 women employed
• More than EUR 25 000 income generation

During the last month, the group has conducted clean-up campaigns in Sashamene Elementary school and Sashamene Town stadium. Close to 200 people mobilized in the events. The project has entered a phase where we start to look into how to develop the business. The topics discussed are teamwork and work efficiency, strengthening business networking with different partners, financial document handling and the management role and responsibility. There has also been a Norwegian Lutheran Mission (NLM) visit for learning and possible cooperation.

The business plan keeps forming, and a SWOT analysis has been conducted along with an action plan. Besides many opportunities identified, the group highlights that they have created trust within their family, community and the government.

Numbers:

• 756 kg PET, total 52143 kg are collected
• Bailed: PET 45 bail (1800kg) and paper 142 bail (7066 kg)

Sales are starting to take off

Much has happened in Shashemene since our last update. The project has reported sales amounting to a total of 550 477 Birr, divided over 24,417 kg PET bottles and 12,805 kg paper. To this day a total of 48,891 kg of PET bottles and 20,001 kg of paper have been collected. This is a lot of waste that no longer pollutes the town – instead it has become an asset that is sold on and creates jobs.

A steady income

Transportation costs have increased, which affect the margins for the project. However, the municipality has offered to support the project with transportation. We have also seen a drop in waste collecting, which we are looking into. It’s important for the project to keep collecting high as plastic and paper waste together with baling is what creates value. We’re also focusing on increasing the baling frequency because the sales depend on it. On that note we’re also working hard to increase sales in order to generate a stable income.

World clean-up day

In addition to the work with creating awareness for hygiene, trash-to-cash and clean-up events that we’re conducting, there was a big turnout for World clean-up day. The town community cleaned up in residential areas and students and different community groups took on cleaning up around selected waste disposal areas.

Expansion

We’re looking into expanding the Value for Waste project into other countries. At this time, Sudan and Tanzania have been identified as suitable candidates. The NCA is looking into funding for this expansion as well as a substantial grant for all Value for Waste projects for the next two years. BEWI have volunteered to investigate contributing with advice and expertise on collection, handling and processing of the collected waste. The goal is that BEWI’s expertise can make these steps more efficient.

It’s one of the biggest civic movements of our time and unites 180 countries across the world. The goal is a cleaner planet and this year World Clean-up Day united 11 million people in 166 countries.

In Shashemene, thousands of people came out to make the city cleaner. In a few hours, volunteers collected 8,900 kg of waste, out of which 1176 kg was PET bottles.

Since last month’s project meeting, we have seen both progress and met obstacles. The positives include that our work to raise awareness about paper collection systems is going well. We have conducted one-day training for 11 official heads, 11 office cleaners and 2 companies. The goal here is to increase paper collection.

We have completed the construction of a baling machine house as well as installed the required electric systems. The baling machine is key, as it compresses the waste material into bales, that facilitate handling and transportation. However, due to the over-stretching of baling machine personnel, baling machine training is falling behind. This has led to a delay in the selling of collected PET and paper waste for recycling.

Since our last post, an additional 5,327kg of PET bottles and 3,500kg paper has been collected.

There has also been progress in our dialogue with the Ethiopian Environment Protection Authority. We have reached an agreement to draft an action plan indicating:

• The development of a national strategy for the plastic recycling industry
• Standardization of bottle-to-bottle recycling
• Roadmap and implementation guidelines for the plastic recycling industry

Going forward

Over the coming month, we have our aim set at conducting the required baling machine training and start to sell the collected PET bottles and paper. Increasing PET and paper collection is another goal, as well as the handing over of the electric tuk-tuk’s purchased for transportation of the collected waste.

To conduct baling machine operation training and start the selling the collected PET and paper for recycling companies. We’re also looking to conduct experience sharing between relevant companies.