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N$1.42 Million Paid to Windhoek Residents for Recyclables
By: Johanna Festus
The Katutura Waste Buy-Back Centre has paid out N$1.42 million to residents for recyclable materials, highlighting the income-generating potential of recycling while diverting waste from Windhoek’s landfill.
The figure was revealed by Namibia ReThink Waste GreenCycle Expo co-founder Maria Shimhanda, who said the payments demonstrate how recyclable materials can provide an income stream for residents while contributing to improved waste management.
The Katutura Waste Buy-Back Centre is Windhoek's premier community recycling hub which enables residents to swap recyclable materials for immediate income. This project was initiated by the City of Windhoek in partnership with the European Union and the City of Bremen to reduce landfill volumes while stimulating local micro-economies.
Speaking at the launch of the Khomas Sustainability, Green Growth and Circular Economy Roadmap in Windhoek, Shimhanda said the initiative seeks to change perceptions around waste by encouraging communities to view recyclable materials not simply as waste destined for disposal, but as resources with economic value.
Khomas Governor, Sam Nujoma said the region’s current economic model requires urgent reform, pointing to youth unemployment estimated at between 40% and 59% across constituencies, while less than 10% of waste generated is recycled.
He said the remaining waste is either buried at the Kupferberg landfill or shipped across borders as low-value raw materials, describing this as an economic loss that denies thousands of young people potential employment opportunities.
“Waste, if properly understood, is a resource to be captured, processed and converted into value within our own borders by our own people,” Nujoma said.
According to Nujoma, since September 2024, the Katutura Waste Buy-Back Centre has diverted more than 166 tonnes of material from the landfill through more than 9,000 drop-offs, putting nearly N$1.5 million directly into the hands of local residents.
