Businesses move to expand plastic recycling

DAR ES SALAAM: PLASTIC waste is being brought into a formal recycling value chain under a new initiative aimed at increasing collection, recovery and reuse of discarded plastic materials.

The programme, launched by TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania in partnership with Arena Recycling Industry, adds to government efforts to improve plastic waste collection, recycling and recovery.

It will establish collection points where collected plastic will be weighed and recorded before being channelled for recycling, with participants receiving points based on the volume returned.

The initiative is being implemented under the “Give Plastic a Second Chance” campaign, with collected materials transferred to Arena Recycling Industry for sorting, processing and recycling.

TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania Managing Director Mamadou Ngom said the programme was intended to encourage communities to treat plastic as a recoverable resource rather than waste.

“The initiative aims to encourage communities to recognise that plastic is not merely waste, but a valuable resource that can be returned to the cycle of use and contribute to social and economic development,” he said.

The programme links plastic collection with recycling operations, creating a system for recovering materials that could otherwise enter the waste stream.

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Arena Recycling Industry Executive Director Hellena Sailas said the initiative would support the circular economy by increasing the supply of plastic materials for processing while reducing waste.

Arena will be responsible for collecting, transporting, sorting and recycling the plastic recovered through the programme.

The recycled material can be processed into products such as eco-bricks for houses, pit latrines, water tanks and septic tanks.

Ms Sailas urged the public to take plastic waste to designated collection points, where it will be weighed and recorded before being sent for recycling.

The initiative comes as businesses and wastemanagement operators increasingly focus on recovering materials from waste streams and putting them back into productive use.