Organic Waste Sorting Manual

This manual provides a comprehensive strategic framework for the optimisation of organic waste management in developing urban contexts, with a primary focus on Uganda. As organic waste comprises the largest fraction of the municipal solid waste stream, representing approximately 75 per cent of the 2020 baseline, its effective management is the single most significant lever for improving public health and achieving climate goals.

The environmental and public health imperative. Mismanagement currently leads to a dual crisis: open burning and uncontrolled dumping. Open burning in dense urban areas like Kampala releases carcinogens, such as dioxins and furans, as well as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), with levels consistently exceeding WHO guidelines by up to 12 times. Furthermore, the anaerobic decomposition of uncollected waste in landfills is a major source of methane (CH4), a potent short-lived climate pollutant. Without intervention, Uganda’s methane emissions from waste are projected to nearly triple, rising from 1.7 MtCO2e in 2020 to 4.9 MtCO2e by 2050.

A scalable, pillar-based collection strategy. The manual rejects a “one-size-fits-all” approach, instead tailoring infrastructure to the urban scale. Successful collection relies on three foundational pillars:

• Decentralised primary collection, involving the use of agile vehicles, such as tricycles and handcarts, for door-to-door service in dense, informal settlements.
• Centralised community collection, focusing on the strategic placement of 120–240 litre bins in higher-density areas.
• Secondary transport, to ensure the efficient transfer from primary vehicles to larger skip bins at transfer stations for final bulk transport.