A new report released by an India-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Africa can reduce its emissions significantly if it recycles this waste by initiating and encouraging industrial waste circularity.

The CSE report indicates that 100 per cent recycling of just four types of industrial waste – lead acid battery, glass waste, cashew waste and e-waste – could reduce 8.7 million tonnes of CO₂, which is a 2 per cent reduction in total GHG emissions from the continent.

Industrial waste contributes 30-40 per cent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Africa.

This was contained in a report, titled ‘ Africa’s Wasted Potential: Unlocking industrial waste in circularity ’, released in Lagos on Tuesday at a pan-Africa workshop jointly hosted by CSE and Nigeria’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

Speaking at the workshop, the Manager of Industrial Pollution at CSE, Ishita Garg, said: “The CSE report uncovers the unexplored potential of industrial waste, a resource often ignored. Africa’s circular economy efforts have remained focused on plastic and municipal waste, and industrial waste has largely been overlooked. This report emphasises the urgency of addressing this issue and demonstrates how circular solutions can drive both economic growth and environmental sustainability.”

Garg said: “The report stresses on the need to prioritise industrial waste and treat it as a resource and a development opportunity. By adopting circular practices, industries can lower raw material costs, improve energy efficiency, and reduce their GHG emissions while creating job opportunities.”

He pointed out that, “While Africa is projected to double its GHG emissions by 2050 in a business-as-usual scenario, scaling up circularity practices could present a significant opportunity to cut GHG emissions at both country and continent level”

While the opportunities are clear, the report also sheds light on the barriers that hinder progress on the ground. One of the major roadblocks in enhancing industrial waste circularity in Africa is the absence of comprehensive waste inventories on the type and quantity of industrial waste generated.

The report says many African countries that are experiencing rapid industrialisation lack data on industrial waste generation, including figures on recycling, reuse and disposal, making it difficult to track material flows and identify opportunities for circularity.

“The absence of such information has resulted in dumping of waste like slag, fly ash, plastic, glass, paper, etc. which are otherwise easily recyclable.

“Having a waste inventory is a crucial first step towards industrial waste circularity and absence of such essential information questions the handling and management of industrial waste. Without reliable data, policies and interventions fail to address the actual scale of industrial waste challenges,” she said.

Other factors that make large-scale adoption of industrial waste circularity difficult include the limited financial support for circular practices, insufficient industrial waste management infrastructure, and gaps in the policy framework. The CSE’s report also highlights the absence of industrial waste targeted goals and actions in circular economy policies of many African countries, underscoring a major barrier to large-scale implementation.

However, few promising solutions are emerging in different African countries. These include the use of waste as alternative fuels in cement plants, recycling other wastes such as tyres, paper, glass, cashew nuts, lead batteries, etc. that are integrating waste materials into their production processes. These practices showcase the possibilities of transforming industrial waste into valuable resources while also generating economic benefits by creating new revenue streams and minimising waste and reducing GHG emissions.

The Director General of NESREA, represented by the Director Inspection and Enforcement, Dr Christopher N. Beka, said Africa’s industrial sector has a unique opportunity to integrate waste circularity, especially as much of the continent’s industrial infrastructure is yet to be built.

He said regulatory frameworks need to evolve to support industrial waste circularity at large scale, adding that strengthening policies and enhancing industry participation will be crucial in industrial waste sustainability goals.

The report presented a strategic roadmap to scale up industrial waste circularity across the continent and recommended the creation of a national waste inventory to track industrial waste generation, recycling, and disposal.

It also recommended development of waste mapping and cross-industry waste exchange to repurpose waste as raw materials, develop and implement industrial waste-focused policies that establish sector-specific guidelines, introduce targeted financial mechanisms and invest in recycling infrastructure to make circular waste practices viable and scalable and provide technical guidance and capacity building to help industries transition to circularity.

The workshop in Lagos brought together regulators from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania, and is aimed at having focussed discussions on strengthening regulations, encouraging industry participation, and creating financial incentives to enhance circularity across industrial sectors.