Phasing Out of Open Burning of Waste in Africa - Note by the Secretariat - African Ministerial Conference on the Environment. Eighteenth Session

The 10-year implementation plan for 2014–2023 for Agenda 2063 of the African Union has set an ambitious aspiration that by 2023 African cities will recycle at least 50 per cent of the waste they generate. While most African countries are still very far from achieving that goal, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has indicated that even higher rates can be achieved by focusing on (i) the diversion of organic waste away from landfill towards composting, bioenergy recovery and higher-value product recovery, followed by (ii) refurbishment, repair, reuse and recycling of mainline recyclables such as plastic, paper, metal, glass, tires and e-waste.