The federal government is on track to strengthen the protected administration of chemical compounds and unsafe waste, with its interim hazardous waste storage facility in Nduba nearing completion, in keeping with the Rwanda Surroundings Administration Authority (REMA).
The ability, whose building started in July 2025 after preparatory research and engineering designs had been accomplished, is now 83.93 per cent full, in keeping with an announcement REMA shared with The New Occasions.
Positioned in Nduba Sector, Gasabo District, the ability is designed to briefly obtain and safely retailer hazardous waste earlier than it’s transported to specialised remedy and remaining disposal services.
Hazardous waste refers to discarded supplies that may hurt individuals or the setting as a result of they’re poisonous, flammable, reactive or infectious.
It comes from sources reminiscent of industries, hospitals, farms, laboratories, properties and building websites and consists of chemical compounds, pesticides, batteries, medical waste, used oil and digital waste.
Waste will likely be saved on the Nduba facility for a restricted interval whereas awaiting remedy or disposal at services particularly designed for that function.
As soon as operational, the ability may have the capability to obtain 601.84 tonnes of hazardous waste yearly, equal to about 50.15 tonnes per thirty days or 1.65 tonnes per day.
Poorly managed hazardous waste can contaminate soil, water and meals, pollute the air and pose long-term well being and environmental dangers, as some substances take years to interrupt down.
“Lots is being finished in Nduba since there’s a mission that has began. Waste ought to be sorted earlier than disposal,” mentioned Philippe Kwitonda, Director Normal of Land, Water and Forestry on the Ministry of Surroundings.
He mentioned poor waste administration can contaminate soil and water sources, creating well being dangers.
Hazardous waste administration mission underway
The Decoupling Hazardous Waste Era from Financial Development in Rwanda mission, being carried out by REMA and operating till 2027, requires Rwf6.9 billion in financing.
The mission promotes lowering, reusing, recycling and recovering waste to minimise hazardous waste technology throughout precedence industries and financial sectors. It additionally seeks to strengthen private-sector-led nationwide waste remedy capability to make sure the sound administration of hazardous waste.
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The mission is a collaborative effort involving the United Nations Improvement Programme (UNDP), REMA and the World Surroundings Facility.
Environmental consultants say services such because the one in Nduba can enhance the traceability of hazardous waste, strengthen regulatory oversight and scale back unlawful disposal by offering a managed and safe storage setting.
Paulin Buregeya, a waste administration knowledgeable and Chief Government Officer of COPED Ltd, mentioned the ability is well timed.
“We had been dealing with a problem of getting a spot for hazardous waste disposal. Leaving such waste in households and different locations after detecting it means leaving individuals at risk. Even transporting it to landfill websites with out particular disposal services was harmful. Some waste collectors had been shying away from such waste,” he mentioned.
He known as for the ability to be accomplished shortly to assist curb well being and environmental dangers.
“There’s a want for private-sector involvement. After the storage facility, we will additionally add processing services. Hazardous waste comes from totally different sources, together with households, digital waste reminiscent of batteries, medical medication left in households, poisonous liquids reminiscent of leftover paints, physique oil merchandise and others,” he mentioned.
Name for disposal of mercury merchandise, PCB oil
Buregeya additionally known as for higher consideration to the disposal of mercury-containing merchandise, together with lamps.
Rwanda is planning to retailer, handle and deal with round 122 tonnes of PCB oil inside 5 years. PCBs are chemical pollution present in electrical transformers that may hurt human well being and the setting.
The nation can also be planning to handle round three tonnes of persistent natural pollutant (POP) pesticides and 44 tonnes of non-POP pesticides.
Greater than 35,000 tonnes of PBDE-containing waste, 250 tonnes of PCB-contaminated soil and 40 tonnes of mercury-containing waste may also be handled.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a category of chemical compounds added to some manufactured merchandise to cut back the danger of fireplace, whereas mercury is a naturally occurring factor present in air, water and soil.
Rwanda has additionally launched a nationwide initiative to gather and safely eliminate hazardous chemical waste from faculties.
A 2024 survey carried out by REMA throughout 197 secondary faculties discovered 26,981.46 kilogrammes—almost 27 tonnes—of expired chemical compounds requiring pressing disposal.
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An extra 15.1 tonnes had been recognized in larger studying and analysis establishments.
The Authorities can also be disposing of ethanol that was just lately banned as a result of it’s thought-about a hazardous chemical.
Excessive-tech waste sorting really useful
Abdoul Razak Hamissou, the developer of the Good Eco-Platform, mentioned a synthetic intelligence-powered waste administration system is being piloted in Kigali to discover new methods of bettering waste sorting, recycling and environmental monitoring.
“The AI-powered waste sorting system scans each collected waste and tells whether or not it’s hazardous, plastic, e-waste, paper or different waste earlier than deciding one of the simplest ways to eliminate it,” he mentioned.
