Integrated waste management services contribute to reducing the risk of diseases linked with unmanaged municipal waste while reducing GHG emissions from open burning practices standing at 45% of total generated waste (29).

Integrated waste collection and management leads to food waste recycling, which avoid food waste (17), overloading of landfills or CO2 emission, and produces nutrient-rich fertilizer or energy. It also creates a recycling industry for export purposes, which can have financial and human gain, as Tunisia and Senegal earned USD 20 million and USD 30 million in 2007 from exports of scrap metal, aluminium and recovered plastics (16).

The existing informal market of waste collectors may be disrupted, which may marginalise smaller and informal waste collectors and lead to a rise in unemployment in the short term.

If interventions do not incorporate an element of recycling or sustainable waste management, waste may end up in limited number of landfills, which may have adverse environmental impacts (21).

The prevalence of informal waste management practices coupled with a lack of quality sector reporting reduces the measurability of the generated impact (14).

Overlapping mandates of private entities and municipalities caused by the poor regulatory framework prevents effective delivery of waste management services and associated positive impact.

Persistence of informal waste collection and burning practices may limit the expected impact of formalized services on the environment.

Decrease the environmental burden of waste, improve resource utilisation, and enhance living conditions and public health.

National Development Plan, 2019/20 – 2021/22: Strengthens waste management programs and develops a framework to address hazardous waste. The plan emphasizes the adoption of a circular economy to improve recycling and waste separation, as well as mechanisms to access funding (1).

National Environment Policy, 2000: Contains the guiding principles underpinning environmental management in the country, promotes the enhancement, protection and conservation of the environment and the attainment of sustainable development in Eswatini (23, 24).

State of the Environment Report, 2020: Identifies key driving forces that influence environmental change, including waste management; highlights the limitations of state funds allocated for new waste management developments, such as integrated waste management infrastructure (18).

Financial incentives: The National Environment Fund aims to promote environmental sustainability in Eswatini, with chemical and waste management as the priority areas. It awards grants of up to E 300,000 (USD 20,000), with at least 80% for environmental activities and 20% for administrative tasks (25).

Other incentives: Among the listed projects of the government's Post-Covid-19 Recovery Plan is the planned investment of E 50 million (USD 3.3. million) for a Steel and Metal Recycling Plant (9).

Waste Regulation, 2000: Regulates the management of solid waste and liquid waste in Eswatini. It also provides detailed guidelines on waste management and stipulates fines for failure to comply (22).

Environment Management Act, 2002: Establishes a framework for environment protection, regulates waste licenses, import, export, and trade in waste, as well as waste management’s functions of the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA), local authorities and waste service providers (19).

Litter Regulations, 2011: Regulates prohibition of littering, manages litter offences, and grants responsibility to different entities for the provision of waste receptacles (26).

Legal Notice No. 324 the Public Procurement Act, 2020: Regulates the procurement of goods, works and services by procuring entities, including for waste management, to ensure transparency, accountability and promote diverse private sector participation in public procurements (28).

Envirowise Waste Management, Eco-Buzz, Eric Slabbert Agencies, Eclipse Environmental Solutions.

Eswatini Environment Authority (Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Communication), Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, Water Services Corporation, City Councils.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Environment, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), African Development Bank (AfDB).

Institute of Waste Management of Eswatini (IWMEswatini).

Eclipse Environmental Solutions, a municipal and landfill waste management company, has been awarded the contract for the maintenance of the Manzini Controlled Dumpsite by the Municipal Council of Manzini with a contact volume of E 4.2 million (USD 279,000) (12).