Unlocking Value Through Basic Manual Sorting of Municipal Waste

Key lesson 1

Sorting plant viability is strongly tied to effective upstream supply and downstream demand

Key lesson 2

Apply stringent criteria prior to selecting city to set up sorting facility (e.g. infrastructure, commitment, capability)

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Key lesson 3

Supplement waste collection through buyback centres for enhanced operational efficiency

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Key lesson 4

Standardise plant to meet minimum specifications to improve quality of the facility

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Key lesson 5

Drive positive contribution to the ecosystem via social inclusion of waste pickers

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Critical success factor: Strong offtake partnerships

Robust long-term offtake agreements key for economic viability and reducing depending on landfill disposal

Critical success factor: Context appropriate technology

Key to use sorting equipment that is appropriate to local context, composition of waste and needs/specs of buyer network

Critical success factor: Streamlined procedures for rapid scaling

Comprehensive personnel training in sorting facility (e.g. Standard Operating Procedure compliance) and safety precautions (e.g. PPE)