Zero Waste Project in Greater Tunis: A New Approach to Waste Management
In the Greater Tunis area, the battle against waste is changing its logic. It's no longer just about collecting and eliminating waste, but about producing less, recycling more, and giving a second life to resources. This is the objective of the SWAP (Transition to Zero Waste Against Pollution) project, launched by the Ministry of Environment in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Project Overview
For 5 years, until 2030, the project will target 38 municipalities in the Greater Tunis area, including Tunis, Ariana, Ben Arous, and Manouba, which is home to nearly 2.9 million inhabitants. The ambition is to make the Greater Tunis area a testing ground for new waste management models and identify solutions that can be replicated elsewhere in Tunisia. With a budget of $5 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), SWAP aims to support municipalities in setting up waste sorting, valorization, and reduction mechanisms.
A New Approach to Waste Management
The change sought is significant: shifting from an approach where waste is considered a problem to be eliminated to a model where it becomes a resource to be valued. Indeed, according to the same source, the project relies on the circular economy, with several levers:
- Reducing the use of single-use products
- Encouraging eco-design
- Improving sorting and developing recycling channels
- "It's not just about collecting more waste, but about producing less waste," explained Céline Moyroud, UNDP Resident Representative in Tunisia.
Involving Businesses and Private Sector
This approach also concerns businesses, which are called upon to review their production chains to limit waste generation and better integrate producer responsibility into product end-of-life management. One of the important axes of the program concerns organic waste, which accounts for around 70% of waste produced in Tunisia. The project plans to set up a dedicated financing line for composting and organic valorization. The goal is to develop local solutions to transform these wastes into resources, particularly for agriculture and activities related to material valorization.
Private Sector Investment
For project leaders, the transition to zero waste cannot rely solely on public budgets. The development of a true circular economy requires private investment and the emergence of new specialized actors. Several channels, such as sorting, recycling, composting, and material recovery, could create new economic opportunities around waste. The project plans to work on financial and regulatory mechanisms to encourage investment in these sectors.
International Inspiration
The SWAP project is not unique to Tunisia; it is also being deployed in four other pilot cities: Freetown in Sierra Leone, Kocaeli in Turkey, Montevideo in Uruguay, and Tianjin in China. Sweden is also providing its expertise through Avfall Sverige, the Swedish association specializing in waste management and recycling.
A New Model for the Greater Tunis Area
Through this pilot experience, the Greater Tunis area is seeking to build a new model: less waste produced, more materials recovered, and new economic activities around ecological transition.
