As part of the “Export Initiative Environmental Protection”, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) is supporting the feasibility study “EcoLu – EcoPontes Luanda”. It is intended to provide insights into the separate collection of recyclables in the Angolan capital Luanda. The total project volume amounts to 400,000 euros, 50 percent of which is funded by the BMU.

The project coordination is carried out by us – Rodiek & Co. GmbH. Operational tasks, such as the project implementation and the twelve-month feasibility operation, is mainly carried out by our partner company Nehlsen Ambiente Angola Lda. based in Luanda. The ‘EcoLu’ feasibility study was launched on 1 January 2021 and will run until the end of September2022. In the course of the project, a continuous collection operation of twelve months is expected to provide helpful insights for further work.

With ‘EcoLu’ we have the opportunity to significantly advance environmental education in Angola and to give the starting signal for the construction of a recycling cycle. At the same time, we can test our concept of EcoPontes under real conditions, get real life data to optimize the concept and then implement it at other locations if possible.

Four recycling yards planned in Angola’s capital Luanda

As part of the feasibility study ‘EcoLu’, we will set up four EcoPontes collection centres in Luanda, where paper, plastic, glass and other recyclables are collected separately. The principle of the collection centres is similar to that of the German recycling yards. In this way, the separately recorded recyclables can be returned to the resource cycle. Former waste transfer stations will be used to set up the collection centres. Within the project these will be equipped by Nehlsen Ambiente Angola Lda. so that the collection of recyclables can start at short notice. The company also takes over the emptying of the containers and provides the vehicles as well as the personnel for the removal of the materials. The subsequent treatment and preparation for recycling will also be carried out by Nehlsen Ambiente Angola Lda. with a newly acquired plant park. There are already some regional customers for the collected recyclables.

First EcoPontes recycling collection point opens

In the beginning of June 2021, the first EcoPontes recycling station opened its doors in the Sambizanga district of the Angolan capital Luanda. It is run by Animar – a local NGO that works with young people, women and disadvantaged groups to protect the environment, among other things. Residents can drop off plastic films, rigid plastics and cardboard at the collection point and are paid fairly for doing so. With our support, Animar trains them in quality criteria and safe handling of the recyclables.

EcoPontes network is growing

Since the opening of the first EcoPontes recycling center in Luanda, the project has achieved further success: Our project partner Nehlsen Ambiente Angola is now also expanding the material flow for LDPE stretch films. Currently, a collection volume of more than 10 tons per week is achieved, from which our recycling partner produces recyclate for the Namibian market. The capacity could be increased to about 200 tons of LDPE per month. In addition, Nehlsen Ambiente Angola is building a material flow for PET bottles. Potential recycling partners in the SADC region have already received corresponding sample bales.

For more information please read our flyer.