Context
The population of Algeria is growing, as is the country's economy. As a result, the amount of waste being produced is increasing by almost six percent per year. To date, almost all waste is simply dumped without any regard for the consequences. The recycling rate is very low, and value chains for further processing have been barely developed. Only five to seven percent of urban waste is recycled, and the percentage of recycled plastic waste is less than one percent. The people are unhappy with the current waste disposal situation and the issue has acquired political significance. In 2005, the Algerian Government introduced a national recycling strategy for packaging waste. So far, the goals set as part of this strategy have not been achieved for a variety of reasons. For example, approximately 4.5 million used tyres a year are still dumped in public areas, although they could be recycled or retreaded.
Objective
In Algerian waste management, an increasing number of municipalities have implemented recycling systems for packaging waste and used tyres.
Approach
The project supports the establishment of a national organisation that bears responsibility for the collection and recycling of packaging waste and used tyres. It advises the Algerian Ministry of the Environment and other authorities. In addition, the project is helping the municipality of Sétif to introduce a pilot system to collect and recycle plastic packaging. Furthermore, the project supports administrations and the private sector in creating a national value chain to facilitate the recycling of waste tyres.
Results
In the city of Sétif, a company supported by several municipalities has already taken on the task of collecting and segregating plastic waste. This step has now enabled the recycling of plastic packaging.