The Cameroonian government has set an ambitious goal: by 2030, it aims to allocate the equivalent of 2% of the national budget to the circular economy. This strategic vision is outlined in the National Roadmap for Circular Economy (2025–2035), developed by the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Territorial Development (Minepat), which lays out sustainable resource management and waste valorization priorities for the country.
According to the framework, circular economy expenditures are projected at 62.8 billion CFA francs in 2025, with waste management costs nearing 30 billion CFA francs annually. Combined, these figures total 92.8 billion CFA francs—representing 1.27% of the national budget. The government plans to gradually increase this allocation to 2% by 2030, an increase of over 53 billion CFA francs based on the 2025 budget baseline.
Rising urban waste generation demands urgent action
This financial commitment reflects the pressing need to address the growing volume of urban waste and the limitations of the current system. Cameroon generates approximately 6 million tons of waste each year, primarily from households, markets, public services, and businesses. However, the existing waste management infrastructure remains heavily focused on collection, with minimal capacity for processing and recycling.
The National Roadmap highlights critical gaps: an average collection rate of just 50%, a recycling rate below 10%, and the absence of source separation. In major cities like Yaoundé and Douala, annual waste production is projected to exceed 2.8 million tons by 2040, further straining already inadequate facilities.
Key weaknesses include the lack of infrastructure for collection and treatment, insufficient statistical data, and limited institutional capacity. Plastic pollution is a particularly urgent concern, with nearly 1,300 tons of plastic waste dumped into the environment daily, while only 250 tons are collected monthly and just 180 tons are recycled—underscoring the scale of the challenge.
Institutional reforms and infrastructure upgrades planned
To tackle these issues, the government is preparing a series of reforms and investments aimed at modernizing the entire waste management chain. Proposed measures include a Prime Minister’s decree integrating circular economy principles into value chains, updates to environmental legislation, strengthened oversight by regulatory bodies, and clearer delineation of roles between sectoral agencies and decentralized local governments. There are also discussions about establishing a National Waste Management Agency.
On the infrastructure front, the roadmap calls for the construction and modernization of sorting centers, transfer stations, and internationally compliant landfills. It also emphasizes the deployment of biodigesters and composting units to process organic waste. Additionally, the plan includes incentives for community recycling, public awareness campaigns on source separation and illegal dumping prevention, and expanded training and innovation support in recycling industries.
Public-private financing model for sustainable waste management
The financing strategy is designed to be inclusive, drawing on both public and private resources. The roadmap proposes enhancing municipal waste-related taxes, implementing mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems to fund collection and recycling through eco-contributions, and scaling up the National Waste Exchange—a digital platform already in operation that facilitates transactions in recyclable materials, attracts private investment, and fosters a thriving market for secondary raw materials.
International partners are also expected to play a key role in funding, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Circular Economy Facility, the World Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and several United Nations agencies.