Magically turning rubbish into gold
A major global waste problem can be tackled and result in both jobs and new products. This has been demonstrated by Norwegian Church Aid's project, ‘Waste for value’. More and more countries are adopting this method.
Morogoro in Tanzania has a major waste problem, as well as high unemployment. In the Waste 4 Value project we have there, we provide jobs for young people, while keeping the streets tidy and clean. The plastic is cut into small pieces and recycled into new products.
It all started in Ethiopia, where refugees collected plastic to earn money. Now the project has grown to include large-scale production of goods, waste sorting and recycling. It has provided many people with both an income and a livelihood. Since then, Norwegian Church Aid has scaled up the Waste for Value project in several countries.
The latest addition is Tanzania, where we started a plant in Morogoro in 2024, a couple of hours by train from Dar es Salaam. Now it is Zanzibar's turn.
- I want to help change society, keep my city clean and earn money.
This said Felix Mwingizi (32) when we meet him at the facility in Morogoro. He was unemployed until he was offered the job. As a single father of two children, it was a welcomed offer. But it was also challenging to start working in the waste industry.
- ‘When I started working with rubbish, I was looked down on. There were a lot of stigmas because people don’t know what it is. I don’t care about that anymore when I see what an important job I do. There are countless opportunities here, and I take every single one,’ he smiles.
Sustainable
Like other cities, Morogoro has a major waste problem, particularly when it comes to plastic. Every year, 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide, and only 20 per cent is burnt or recycled, according to the UN.
- I think it's terrible how nature, cities and areas are being littered with plastic. I've always wanted to learn more about the environment. The waste problem is only getting bigger and bigger. Now I have a job that is sustainable.
The aim of the facility is to offer jobs to young unemployed people. For Felix, the job has meant a big change. In addition to supporting his children, his parents also live on his income.
- I have great faith in what I do, and in the long term I hope to take on more responsibility. I feel that I am now helping to change a major social problem, he explains.
Lifts the whole family
There are employees in various roles associated with Waste for Value in Morogoro. There are different work teams responsible for collecting plastic. This is delivered to collection points around the city at agreed times. The plastic is transported to the facility, where it is processed and cleaned before being put through a grinder. The small plastic components are then sold on to the industry, where they are recycled and turned into new products.
Anna Alex (24) was also unemployed when she got the job.
- I was at a seminar and heard about how to handle rubbish. I became very interested. I thought this was something I wanted to learn more about.
Anna also says that picking up rubbish was stigmatised, but now both she and Felix work at the waste facility.
Before she got a job on the project, she sewed clothes to supplement her income, but her dream is to become an architect. She lives with her parents and also supports them. She saves some of the money she earns for her dream of becoming an architect.
- I am the oldest sister and feel a great responsibility to provide for my family, so it is important for me to have a job. Here I have a secure income, I learn a lot, and I can save money for further studies.
Anna is also committed to protecting the environment. - Through this job, I am supporting my whole family. I like my job. Protecting the environment and nature is very valuable.
Renewable energy
In 2021, Norwegian Church Aid also launched a project in Lebanon. A mapping identified a lack of knowledge about how to manage waste effectively.
As a result, we started working with an existing facility in the Amioun area in the north of the country. The facility receives waste from 11 villages. Norwegian Church Aid has supported the facility with equipment for sorting, crushing, pressing and packaging so that the waste can be sold to private companies. We have also installed an off-grid solar energy system that ensures renewable energy, saves costs and protects the environment.
- In addition, we have raised awareness among people about waste sorting and hygiene, explains Ruba Khoury of Norwegian Church Aid in Lebanon.
She says that Norwegian Church Aid has run campaigns in schools, health centres and grassroots organisations, among other places. It was not easy to introduce waste sorting, but now the project has benefited several thousand residents, and 18 villages are now participating.
Amioun's story shows how locally driven solutions can transform environmental crises into opportunities for sustainable growth and development.
