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On 3 March 2025, the UN-Habitat under the Harare Sustainable Cities Initiative (HSCI) funded by the Swedish Embassy in Zimbabwe, handed over sustainable waste management Information, Education, and Communication Materials to the implementing partners under the Initiative. The IEC materials were developed in collaboration with the UN-Habitat Waste Wise Cities Team and implementing partners.
Invited to the handover ceremony were implementing partners namely the City of Harare, Epworth Local Board, Zimbabwe Sunshine Group, and Soberlife. Also present during this ceremony was a representative from the Environmental Management Agency.
The IEC materials are designed to highlight the critical role that ordinary citizens have regarding sustainable waste management practices – reusing, reducing, and recycling – which ultimately have an impact on the volume of waste that ends up at the landfill.
The IEC materials that were handed over also promote the idea that waste can be a source of livelihood – the concept of “waste to wealth”. Effective public awareness campaigns can significantly influence community behaviour towards sustainable waste management.
By clearly linking individual actions like reducing, reusing, and recycling to the decreased burden on landfills, and by visualising the positive benefits and environmental impact, these campaigns can motivate change.
Speaking at the occasion, HSCI Project Manager, Mr Alexander Chileshe, said that “this initiative is focusing on supporting behaviour change in how waste is managed in the City of Harare”.
He added that “waste can be turned into wealth and can also be used to generate energy. And as part of contributing to the wider advocacy efforts the HSCI has produced 3000 posters to promote public awareness around waste. These are the materials that are being distributed today”.
Mr Chileshe also indicated that 5,000 booklets with ‘waste to wealth’ messages will also be produced and distributed through the implementing partners in due course.
During the event, Project Officer, Mr. Isaac Mwangi, in his presentation, focused on the Integrated Resource Recovery Centres (IRRCs) which will be established through the HSCI.
The IRRCs aim to promote waste recovery and recycling of waste. As part of the establishment of the IRRCs, the initiative also aims to build capacity on Integrated Sustainable Waste to Wealth Management (ISWM) (governance, best practices, resource recovery techniques, financial sustainability) as well as create awareness on integrated sustainable waste to wealth management – sorting at source and behaviour change. The initiative aims to work directly with communities to improve waste workers’ livelihoods.
