Why is WasteAid here?
South Sudan is one of the world’s most fragile settings, with protracted conflict, flooding and displacement spanning many years. Across Bentiu and Malakal, over 1,800 cubic metres of waste is collected each month in camps and humanitarian hubs – much of it biodegradable or recyclable – yet limited infrastructure and resources mean waste often accumulates, posing health and environmental risks.
Without sustainable solutions, waste management remains a major challenge for displaced and host communities alike. WasteAid’s work aims to address this by pioneering circular economy approaches that create locally led enterprises, improve sanitation, reduce pollution and offer livelihood opportunities.
Our Approach in South Sudan
Collaborative Waste Assessment
In late 2024, WasteAid and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted a comprehensive waste assessment – WasteAid’s first in a humanitarian context – to understand the volume, composition and potential reuse opportunities of waste in Bentiu and Malakal. The findings highlighted both challenges and opportunities for sustainable waste action.
Waste-to-Use Pilot
Building on this assessment, WasteAid and IOM have launched a groundbreaking waste-to-use pilot project funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This initiative is designed to:
- Train around 30 participants in waste value skills, enterprise development and circular business models.
- Prioritise inclusion by ensuring women, young people and people with disabilities play a leading role.
- Explore practical reuse solutions, such as turning organic waste into fuel and repurposing plastics into building materials.
Through hands-on training and enterprise testing, participants will gain real experience in techniques that can drive sanitation improvements while generating sustainable income.
What This Means for Local Communities
By linking environmental recovery with skills and enterprise, the pilot project aims to:
- Reduce health and environmental risks from unmanaged waste.
- Support community recovery and resilience, especially for displaced populations.
- Test circular economy models that can be scaled and replicated across other fragile and humanitarian settings.
As WasteAid and IOM progress from research to implementation, this effort sets an important precedent – showing how even in complex contexts like South Sudan, waste can be transformed into opportunity for cleaner, stronger, more resilient communities.