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Yo Waste has developed a mobile app that allows bar owners and event organizers to notify them about the type and location of available glass waste for pickup.
Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Waste management startup Yo Waste has partnered with Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) to scale up the recycling of broken glass, especially from high-traffic areas like bars, event venues, and markets. As part of the collaboration, NBL has provided funding support that has enabled Yo Waste to train its staff in the safe handling of glass waste and procure standard protective gear to prevent injuries during collection and sorting.
NBL has also helped Yo Waste build critical linkages with distributors, stockists, and bar owners to strengthen the primary value chain of glass waste recycling. In a move to streamline collection, Yo Waste has developed a mobile app that allows bar owners and event organizers to notify them about the type and location of available glass waste for pickup.
Once delivered to the company’s sorting center, the glass is categorized by colour, crushed into smaller pieces, packed into plastic bags, and exported to a recycling facility in Tanzania. NBL’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Emmanuel Njuki, says Uganda still faces major challenges in managing glass waste due to the absence of local recycling manufacturers.
Njuki noted that without appropriate disposal systems, some individuals resort to illegal dumping to avoid fines from local authorities, resulting in clogged drainage systems and environmental degradation. He commended Yo Waste for easing the burden by collecting glass waste and linking up with the Tanzanian manufacturer for recycling.
He added that the initiative has also created employment, with over 20 youth hired to manage the primary stages of collection and processing. Before the partnership with Yo Waste, NBL ran a countrywide campaign that paid members of the public for returning undamaged beer bottles to supermarkets and depots.
Njuki urged entrepreneurs to view glass waste not just as an environmental issue but also as a business opportunity. Meanwhile, Martin Tumusiime, Managing Director of Yo Waste, said the partnership has enabled the collection of over 63 tonnes of glass waste from communities in the past year. He revealed that with NBL’s support set to wind down, Yo Waste has introduced a monthly service fee of sh20,000 to ensure the sustainability of the glass waste collection initiative.
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