Written by Mina Yirga - Horizon Ethiopia Staff Writer
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
On the southern end of Addis stands one of the smelliest and dirtiest places you could imagine. To us, it is simply koshe. A place where (almost) all Addis’ garbage gets dumped seems the farthest thing from an environmentally friendly business opportunity. But this is exactly how one man sees the city’s landfill.
Solomon Hailemariam not only has an engineer’s ingenuity, but also has the unique ability see the energy potential in what everyone has simply thrown away. The estimated 1600m3 of solid waste Addis produces daily is currently transferred to the open-air pile of rubbish with no future if all goes well, and often just ends up in waterways or partially disintegrating along neighborhood roads.
“A mere 15% of waste is recycled,” says Solomon. “Mismanagement of solid waste in Addis Ababa is at the top of environmental problems.”
Recognizing the existing immense solid waste pollution, the idea of creating Solomon Waste Management Center was conceived in November 2004 with the motto “solid waste can be managed and reutilized”. The basic idea was to begin converting solid waste into clean burning charcoal briquettes that could be used for cooking purposes.
The Nifas Silk Lafto sub-city stepped in collaborating with the Federal Environment Protection Authority and granted him 2000m2 in koshe along with 200,000 Birr in start-up capital. The products he started turning out with his initial home-built machine impressed the Environmental Authority so much, he was then honored with a green award.
Organic wastes are used as raw materials at the project incineration center to be further processed into coals, oils, inks etc. Solomon planned to sort inorganic wastes such as glasses and plastics and ship them to respective recycling centers, thus greatly reducing the city’s wasted mass. His 120m3 machine could get through 40m3 of garbage each day.
This charcoal product is a smokeless (monoxide free) energy source with a capacity to burn slower than conventional wood charcoal. The benefits to a country that has suffered from massive deforestation are immense, as many households, mostly by need, but also often by choice in urban areas, consume great quantities of woody biomass.
But now a snag has come into the project as the koshe land that was once available is no longer so. Without the initial supports Solomon was receiving, his fully private venture is seeking investors to make it viable and produce on a scale that would allow for export. His original plan to enter the domestic market seems unattractive now as charcoal available is supplied at discouragingly cheap prices.
There is reason to believe this is not the end of the story, however. Burnable energy sources have diversified all over the world. Fireplaces in the US often warm the house on anything from processed corncobs to compressed coffee grounds. Moreover, Addis’ waste management system is currently based on rudimentary collection and disposal services. But as the population and waste production swells, the emphasis may shift towards recovery of resources and a higher profile for waste management.
For now it appears as if koshe will remain the eyesore it is. With dwellings surrounding it and operating overcapacity, it is nothing for the city to be proud of. Moreover, as attention to the uncollected waste that clogs drainage systems and can seep into water supplies is heightened, projects like Solomon’s may get a second life.
