UPWARDS of 257 local companies and 99 individuals are now involved in waste collection, transportation and recycling, driven by the ’reduce, reuse and recycle’ initiative, the government has stated.

Hamad Yusuf Masauni, the Union and Environment state minister in the Vice President’s Office (VPO), made this observation when participating in a beach cleanup exercise at Bale Beach in Kigamboni District on thesputnern reaches of Dar es Salaam city.

He pointed at efforts in developing policies and environmental management guidelines including the National Environment Policy (2021), which provides a strategic framework to address environmental challenges.

These include waste management, where it promotes a circular economy approach, he said, also citing the National Environmental Master Plan for Strategic Interventions (2022–2032).

This outline identifies key ecological threats and maps out strategic actions to address them, with waste management as one of the priorities, he said, whereas regulatory actions includes developing the Waste Management Investment Guide.

It details detailing investment opportunities in the waste sector, in line with the National Environment Policy (2021), which provides a strategic framework to address environmental challenges.

It is this set of guidelines which promotes a circular economy approach, while the National Environmental Master Plan for Strategic Interventions (2022–2032) identifies key ecological threats.

It outlines strategic actions to address them, with waste management as one of the priorities, the minister noted, citing the formulation of national guidelines on solid waste management as a pivotal initiative.

“This initiative seeks to promote household and community-level behavioral change in waste sorting, reuse and recycling — ultimately reducing the volume of waste entering the environment, including sensitive marine ecosystems,” he declared.

He praised efforts at beach cleaning as a symbol of unity and responsibility for shoreline residents, wishing that it moves from being a one-off activity, 

|It needs to serve as a wake-up call to both public institutions and environmental stakeholders, he said, stressing that everyone has a role to play in ensuring that beaches and other coastline areas remain clean every day.

The minister lamented that the country is facing a growing environmental challenge as urban areas in particular generates up to 20.7m tonnes of waste annually.

The city of Dar es Salaam and its environs account for 15.3percent of the waste needing to be collected, a substantial part of which is carried into the sea, he said.

He expressed concern over the growing volume of waste, particularly in the commercial capital, noting that the coastline of Dar es Salaam is not only an economic and ecological asset, but also a source of recreation and cultural pride. Healthy beaches support tourism, fishing and the well-being of coastal communities, he said, pointing out that these areas are increasingly threatened by pollution, especially plastic waste.

“This means stronger action is needed to address the challenge. I want to emphasize that the government remains firmly committed to leading the country’s environmental management efforts,” he added.