Uganda ranks among the top ten global producers and consumers of bananas and the highest in Africa, averaging 10 million tonnes annually. However, banana cultivation results in tonnes of post-harvest and processing waste. This Showcase Story highlights the BANATEX EA project which is valorising banana waste through natural fibre production, and assisting rural, marginalised communities
This study examines the challenge of improving water access to meet SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), while also reducing dependence on plastic-based water delivery systems, such as those using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sachets by considering the traditional technology of ceramic gravity filters.
This research reports investigates the market dynamics of the secondhand clothing trade in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, two Least Developed Countries. Under this challenging economic context, individuals and families have limited disposable income, making affordability of products essential for consumers, who often resort to secondhand product markets.
This annual review report showcases SMEP’s execution and impact for the financial year of 2023-2024. During the year under review, the programme had significant expansion into new sectors and undertook high-level engagements with regulatory and policy-making bodies.
The BANATEX-EA project aims to bridge the gap between global fibre demand and supply through aiming to produce a good quality spinnable fibre from banana residues.
Dr Amrita Kundu and Ms Michelle Wilson, who are leading funded projects under the SMEP programme, attended the 14th session of the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Commission in Geneva on the 25th April 2024. They provided insight into the scale, scope, and dynamics of illicit trade flows in solid waste
The Uganda Circular Textile project is designed to support a transition to a local Ugandan textile manufacturing base by incorporating clothes that would have otherwise ended up in landfill into new products and design. The project will assess the existing second-hand textile value chains in Kampala to establish the types of materials that are currently
Waste-to-Energy Market Assessment The case for anaerobic digestion in Kenya and Uganda Organic waste is released through water and land pathways into waterbodies and landfills. Release of organic waste into these pathways results in production of greenhouse gas and negatively impacts aquatic and human health. This report investigate the potential of anaerobic digestion as a suitable