WasteAid Toolkit

Making Waste Work is a toolkit for community waste management in lower and middle-income countries.

The toolkit provides essential information to help you set up community-led waste management systems and small recycling businesses. These activities can help keep your neighbourhood clean and healthy and even generate a small income. Funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and produced by WasteAid, the toolkit builds on the practical experience and know-how of waste managers and recycling entrepreneurs from across the globe.

Read Making Waste Work to discover the importance of delivering better waste management for all, and how to build local recycling enterprises that create jobs and improve the local economy.

See the How-to guides (below) for illustrated step-by-step instructions to making useful products from waste materials.

How-to Guides

The How-to guides provide illustrated step-by-step instructions to making useful products from waste materials.

How to measure your waste

Step-by-step instructions to help you measure and understand the different materials in your waste. This is a simple and practical guide to conducting a waste composition analysis.

How to transform woody waste into charcoal briquettes

An illustrated guide to making charcoal briquettes using woody waste such as groundnut shell, mango leaf or coconut husk. These briquettes burn hotter and longer than normal charcoal, and do not require any trees to be cut down.

How to convert organic waste into biogas

Learn how to make biogas from food waste, safely. This illustrated guide includes three techniques that will enable you to turn wet organic material into clean, green cooking fuel.

How to transform fish waste into animal feed

Fish waste that will not be eaten by people can be turned into a nutrient rich animal feed, ideal for months when there is no grass.

How to turn organic waste into compost

Using food scraps and other organic materials, you can make compost that will help your plants to grow bigger and stronger. This is the ideal way to close the loop from farm to food and back to the farm.

How to turn organic waste into compost using worms

Introducing worms to your compost process can help to make a very good soil conditioner. Follow these step-by-step instructions and start your own vermiculture farm.

How to prepare plastics to sell to market

This illustrated guide will help you identify different types of plastics. If you want to collect and sell plastics you need to be able to sort them into different types, and do some light processing to maximise the value.

How to transform plastic waste into paving tiles

Follow this illustrated step-by-step guide and learn how to turn LDPE plastic into durable paving tiles. These tiles are just as strong and even more durable than concrete tiles.

How to turn mixed plastic waste into ecobricks

If you do not live near a plastic bottle recycling facility, you can use the bottles to build walls! Follow these instructions and learn how to turn flexible plastics and PET bottles into ecobricks.

How to crochet film plastic into bags

Use this illustrated guide to learn to crochet attractive purses, bags and mats from thin film plastic. This material is usually abundant in the waste stream and you can add a lot of value to it by following these instructions.

How to collect waste safely and efficiently

Collecting waste is an important service to society. When waste is collected from people's homes they do not have to resort to dumping or burning it. Use this guide to plan your waste collection system.

How to design and operate a basic waste disposal site

Read this guide to learn about how to set up a safe waste disposal site. It is important to select your site carefully to minimise the risk of harm.

How-guides in 1 download

All 12 how-to guides from the WasteAid Toolkit in 1 single download.

Download All

Bonus Downloads

Explore our bonus how-to guides!

Residuos Útiles (Español)

Esta caja de herramientas fue diseñada para comunidades que quieren mejorar lo que hacen con sus residuos.

How to make a tippy tap

Build your own tippy tap, a hands-free water dispenser.

How to make soap using waste oil

Learn how to make your own soap by following these simple steps.

How to make hand sanitiser

Make your own hand sanitiser easily with this simple guide.

How to make compost at home

Follow these simple steps to make your own compost from your food waste.