Introducing a self-sustaining glass bottle recycling system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Arusha’s rapid growth intensifies waste challenges: 50% dumped, 35% left in public, 15% recycled. AfriCraft will establish glass bottle collection across dumpsites, communities, hotels, bars, markets, and restaurants. A Glass Bottle Bank will enable circularity: 95% of bottles cleaned, processed into cullet, and supplied to KIOO (Tanzania’s major glass manufacturer); 5% used for glass bricks and upcycled crafts. The model creates women’s jobs in collection, bank operations, and upcycling. Target: 200 tons/month collected, cutting an estimated 2,400,000 kg CO2 annually. Outcome: reduced landfill burden, formalized recycling value chain, and climate benefits for one of East Africa’s fastest-growing cities.