EU-funded waste buy-back centres initiated

On Tuesday, 25 October, Windhoek mayor Sade Gawanas and the ambassador of the European Union (EU) delegation to Namibia, Sinikka Antila, officiated a groundbreaking ceremony for two waste buy-back centres in Katutura. This forms part of an EU-funded project to improve solid waste management in the capital. Germany&#039;s state secretary, Dr Olaf Joachim, also offered virtual greetings from Windhoek’s twin city, Bremen.&#039;Improving solid waste management in Windhoek&#039; is a four-year project implemented within the framework of the Windhoek-Bremen sister cities cooperation and funded by the EU to the tune of N$36.8 million.Circular economyThe main objective of the project is to reduce waste volumes and their harmful environmental impacts, and thus expand the share of recycled waste along with creating jobs through innovative start-ups in a circular economy in Windhoek. The waste buy-back centres will receive waste, process it and add value to it for resell as raw material to the recycling industry for remanufacturing.The initiative is expected to recycle 2 000 tonnes of waste with 100 monthly drop-offs per month by 2025. About 6 800 learners from pre-primary, primary and secondary schools and about 200 000 residents will be sensitised on waste recycling. The participation of all stakeholders - including the private sector and residents - is crucial to ensure project success.Twinning for developmentSpeaking at the ceremony, Gawanas said: “Despite considerable delays experienced at the project inception due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, substantial project implementation progress has been achieved”. She added that "to date, public participation on the environmental impact assessment process has been conducted for the two sites, and the project has been well received by residents. Designs and layout are finalised, and construction of the waste buy-back centre on the corner of Hans-Dietrich Genscher and Bondel streets in Katutura [is set to commence].”Antila congratulated the twin cities for this positive milestone, which is aimed at achieving the City of Windhoek’s ambitious targets on recycling, packaging waste, landfill and solid waste management. She said: "The groundbreaking for the construction of waste buy-back centres marks a very visible and impressive big step in our common endeavour to support Namibia&#039;s shift towards a more sustainable model known as the circular economy, with Windhoek as a pilot, and hopefully for Namibia as a whole in the future".

EU-funded waste buy-back centres initiated

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EU-funded waste buy-back centres initiated

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