The country’s circular economy action plan was unveiled during the World Circular Economy Forum which closed Wednesday in the capital Kigali.

The action plan targets key interventions which will be implemented in waste management and adoption of clean production technologies over the next 14 years, said Dismas Karuranga, an official from the Rwandan Ministry of Environment.

Key highlights of the plan include prioritizing renewable over non-renewable materials, developing a national regulation that would facilitate the separation of waste according to the category to reduce the cost of recycling, and establishing waste collection and transfer centers in every town to facilitate appropriate waste treatment.

Karuranga called for partnerships and collaboration among the public and private sectors, saying "no single company can achieve a circular economy alone."

Rwanda remains committed to fostering socio-economic transformation while also conserving and protecting our environment, said Rwandan Minister of Environment Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya.

She said reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, halting biodiversity loss, and shifting to genuine recycling will guarantee a greener future.

During the forum, business leaders, policymakers, and economic experts from Africa and around the world presented solutions to achieve a circular economy and explored new business opportunities the shift could present.