A characterization of the Kigali city waste has been carried out by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to enhance public education on source separation, improved collection infrastructure, better landfill management, and a comprehensive, centralized strategy to transition towards a circular economy through increased waste prevention, reuse, and recycling.

Waste samples were collected directly from 354 households; deliveries bound for the Nduba dumpsite and containing waste from some 413 households were redirected to the characterisation centre, as well as direct collections from 5 commercial installations – including 3 public markets, a mixed-use hybrid building housing offices, eateries and shops – and a hotel.

An overall city-wide specific waste generation rate of 0.56 kg/capita/day was arrived at. Recyclables were found to be getting generated at a rate of 0.08 kg/capita/day. The Recyclables rate currently translates to 100.5 tons/day. These figures are understood to be slightly higher than actual on a dry basis, as some of the samples from public spaces and those redirected from Nduba deliveries were found to be inadequately protected from rainwater. Water addition to the waste tends to amplify the weights of the waste, especially those of the organics, cardboard and textiles. An exercise to regress the results to moisture contents reflective of the as-generated nature of this waste has not been carried out, as the as-received nature of the waste is the more important factor for the later tasks in this work.