Waste Management in Uganda: Challenges and Policy Opportunities

Policy note Dec 2025 Sustainable Growth and Waste

As urbanisation accelerates and consumption patterns evolve, the volume and complexity of waste by-products continue to rise, making them an inevitable consequence of human life and economic activity. Yet if not properly managed, these materials pose a serious threat to environmental quality, public health, and urban liveability.

This policy note argues that waste can be reframed as an opportunity: a source of materials for recycling, energy for households, and jobs for young people, rather than a burden to be managed.