Nothing Wasted!

Expert advice for taka-taka separation and recycling

Fumba Town undisputedly has the highest standard in waste management in the whole of Zanzibar. But still, things could be improved if we learned how to separate our garbage better. Green expert Franko Goehse has some practical advice.

Are you a clever or a lousy recycler? How well we separate waste determines “how much of it and at what costs can be recycled”, says Frank Goehse, 55, head of the Permaculture Design Company (PDC) and a reputable green expert in Zanzibar. He started Fumba Town, the seaside community south of Zanzibar city, on a bed of self-made compost ten years ago.

Three bins per household

From the beginning, a waste collection service of a higher standard than even in Europe was created for the urban development. Every household is entitled to three different waste-containers for the kitchen: a green organic one for food waste, a blue one for stuff which can be recycled such as plastic bottles, paper, cardboard and glass tins. And a black waste bin for the bad bits (non-recyclable or inorganic waste): cigarette butts, soft plastic, diapers, toothpaste tubes. While some owners find three containers already difficult to juggle, Goehse points out that a village in Japan has 48 different garbage categories! “Our biggest challenge is that people throw recyclables in food waste”, says Goehse – and the permaculture centre has to sort out the mess, at extra-costs. Soon, large community containers for glass and paper waste will be installed in Fumba.

Every day, a Boeing full of waste

With growing tourism and affluence, Zanzibar’s waste problems are increasing, too. Every day the isles produce 630 tons of waste, of which only 40 percent are being properly collected and brought to the island’s only landfill in Kibele. Garbage has more than doubled since 2021. “The equivalent of the weight of a Boeing 747 or the weight of around 200 cars” gets dumped uncontrolled into the environment every day, researchers have found out. A brand-new directive by the tourism commission commits hotels to responsible “waste management practices” but hotel owners have pointed out that professional collectors are missing. Responsible for the collection are the different municipalities.

Shop clever products!

The devil is often in the detail – for private consumers as much as for collection companies. What to do with fish and meat leftovers? “OK in food waste”, says Goehse. “What was alive, comes back alive” is the golden rule for all food waste. It also applies to natural textiles like linen or cotton – deposit them into recyclables. Careful with plastic: hard plastics like bottles and lids can be recycled but a lot of soft plastics like packaging cannot. Many plastic items create a tricky throw-away puzzle not easily solved even by green thinkers (see chart on this page).

“When shopping, try to buy less waste-intensive products”, Goehse advises. Choose green markets like the monthly community market in Fumba over supermarkets. Shop for clever products: normal tea bags for instance often come in tin-foil bags, which end up in toxic waste in the landfill. Tanzanian company Kazi Yetu, however, produces delicious  green teas in biodegradable pyramid tea bags – those elegant-looking lacey triangles – and sells them in a simple hardcover box.

The waste arithmetic of Fumba is changing with a growing population. In the beginning the PDC prided itself on a stunning 94% recycling rate. “We now compost and recycle around 80% of the waste”, says Goehse. The reason for the decrease: “More people living in town use more non-recyclable items and more packaging material.” Luckily, the inhabitants also produce more compost, made in the “lasagne-method” with layers of food waste, shredded greens, charcoal powder and coconut sawdust. 480 tons of compost were created in 2024, double the amount of 2023, and more than Fumba needs.

“We still do much more than anybody else on the island”, the PDC director proudly sums up Fumba’s waste management.