Building a Local Circular Economy Through Waste Valorisation inBamenda, Cameroon

Abstract

In Sub-Saharan African cities, municipal waste has become a major issue, transforming potential green spaces into unsightly brown landscapes. One strategyto address this problem is to convert these wastes into environmental and economic assets by implementing a local circular economy. The concept of acircular economy emphasises that waste, when properly managed, can be turned into a resource, adding value to the production chain. For instance, thecity of Bamenda in Cameroon produces a large amount of municipal solid waste, including scrap metal, agricultural waste, paper, plastics, and more. Datacollected from the Regional Delegation of Environment, Protection of Nature, and Sustainable Development was used to compile a list of businesses andnon-governmental organisations involved in waste valorisation. These waste valorisation facilities were then visited to assess their adherence to the 10-Rs(Recycle, Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Reuse, Recover), number of employees, materials valorised, and theireconomic turnover. The results revealed that a variety of solid wastes were valorised, including plastics (24.2%), metals (45.5%), food waste (6.1%), animalwaste (9.1%), as well as paper, glass, and tyres (3%) respectively. Specifically, copper (1.62 US$/kg) and aluminium (0.54 US$/kg) generated higher profitsin the local waste economy due to their relatively scarce nature compared to scrap iron (0.11 US$/kg). Although plastics (0.15 US$/kg) have a higher unitvalue than iron, they are less favoured due to their bulkiness and lower weight. The local circular economy has provided a source of income for 91.9% of the operators in Bamenda. However, some challenges persist in the circular economy sector, including poor waste sorting at the source, insufficient investmentcapital and technology, a lack of government assistance, and illegality of certain waste management operations. To address these issues and foster economicgrowth, efforts should focus on public awareness campaigns, education, training, and increased capital investments. These initiatives would not only createmore wealth but also help reduce unemployment in Bamenda and its surroundings.