The third edition of the Africa Waste is Wealth Summit (AWWS III), held in June 2026, brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders from across Africa – government agencies, private sector actors, UN bodies, financiers, researchers, and innovators – united by a common agenda: transforming waste from a problem into an economic and environmental opportunity.
Trade in Secondhand Clothing Analysis of markets in Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America Global trade in secondhand clothing (SHC) plays a vital role in promoting textile circularity. By extending the lifespan of garments, it helps reduce the pressure on landfills in exporting countries and provides affordable clothing options
Technical Cooperation Outcome Solutions in traditional knowledge How gravity water filters could help reduce single-use plastics in sub-Saharan Africa Universal access to safe and affordable drinking water continues to demand the attention of the United Nations and its member states under SDG 6. However, the construction of new water delivery infrastructure is failing to keep
Frame waste to value Upcycling agricultural residues for sustainable textiles The global textile industry is massive, valued at $594.1 billion in production in 2022 alone (Euromonitor, 2023). It represents one of the most important “ladder” industries for developing countries seeking to promote industrialisation and create jobs. Yet, the industry is unsustainable, creating massive unmanaged waste
Beyond the technical loop Driving the circular bioeconomy through global policy coherence As of April 2025, 76 countries have adopted national strategies or roadmaps for the circular economy (Chatham House, 2025). These strategies reflect growing recognition of the need to address cascading environmental risks while unlocking new avenues for competitiveness, environmental protection, pollution reduction, and
Our technical delivery partner, UNCTAD, will be hosting a side-event to the World Circular Economy Forum 2025! Opportunities for embedding the bio-economy into national circular economy plans 🗓 Date: 12 May 2025🕒 Time: 2:00 PM GMT -3⌛Duration: 3 hours📍 Venue: In person at Sala da Congregação, FEA-USP, São Paulo, Brazil, or join online. Registration Here Registration is mandatory
The SMEP Programme is proud to share a milestone in our mission to support innovation in manufacturing value chains and circularity. One of our grantee projects, Uganda-based BANATEX – EA took to centre stage at the 2025 Massmart Growth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on 2nd April 2025. The event brought together over 300 businesses
A study of textile waste at Owino Market, Kampala Towards a circular textile economy in Uganda WasteAid UK, the project lead for the Uganda Circular Textiles project, have commissioned this research report which investigates the flow of textile waste at Owino Market in Kampala, Uganda. Their project aims to address critical issues within the second-hand