The project Integrated Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Freetown aims to introduce environmentally and socially sustainable waste management concepts, technologies and solutions in Freetown in Sierra Leone.
The overall goal is integrated sustainable solid waste management in Freetown based on
- utilization of resources from waste,
- economically competitive solid waste collection and treatment,
- inclusion and cooperation of stakeholders across the service delivery chain.
The project is currently finalizing the first of three phases (see figure), which provides justification for the upcoming second phase (pilot implementation) which in turn will provide necessary input to a future program implementation.
Phase 1 has been carried out in four steps:
- A literature study describing sustainable alternatives for rebuilding the solid waste managemen system.
- A baseline study carried out by local a consultant in Freetown outlining prerequisites for implementing a new solid waste management system in Freetown.
- A field visit by two representatives from INUG, investigating the current practices and arranging a workshop, bringing together potential local stakeholders. Among the identified suggestions for moving forward, the most feasible would be engaging stakeholders to set up a pilot compost at the Kingtom landfill in Freetown.
- To enable a more thorough evaluation of the suggested way ahead, additional data was collected through two complementary studies investigating the possibilities setting up and operating a pilot compost at the landfill and selling the material to local farmers.
The main conclusion from phase 1 is that there is a great opportunity to start composting organic waste, to be used as fertilizers in urban and peri-urban areas, at the Kingtom landfill site in Freetown. INUG is therefore, together with Engineers Without Borders Sierra Leone, currently developing a project plan for a new project phase
