UC Berkeley

In low-income countries, 93% of waste is burned or dumped while only 2% of waste in high incomecountries is improperly disposed of in this manner. This research focuses on the plastic waste problem in Uganda—a country where 600 tonnes of plastic waste is generated daily and only 6% is collected. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most prevalent type of plastic waste in Uganda, but it cannot be recycled anywhere in East Africa. Plastic waste in developing countries is a complex, multifaceted problem, and little comprehensive research exists on the subject. Through a technical, social, and business approach, I attempt to present a holistic analysis.

An extended exergy analysis was conducted to quantify the resource use and environmentalimpact of seven different disposal and recycling options for plastic waste that are feasible with Uganda’s limited infrastructure. The results revealed that recycling into a new product is the most resource efficient end-of-life option for PET plastic in Uganda and that transportation can be a major exergy cost. To reduce transportation and keep economic benefits within a community rather than exporting the majority of the profits, a local, circular economy recycling solution was proposed. Additionally, a fundamental phase change heat transfer analysis was used to model the solar drying process many Ugandan recyclers use to dry their plastic after washing.

To demonstrate the feasibility of this proposed distributed recycling model, I co-foundeda social enterprise in Gulu, Uganda. We developed a process and built local machines to transform PET waste into durable, beautiful wall tiles making us the only recyclers of PET in Uganda. Using a community-based approach, emphasizing product-market fit, and pushing the bounds of recommended polymer processing practices, we developed and proved the viability of a solution that did not before exist. This dissertation presents a framework and an example of how to create sustainable solutions for complex technical and social problems that are technically viable, financially sustainable, and embraced by community members.