Solid Waste Value Chain Assessment (Lilongwe, Malawi)

Project Details

Overview

The Collective (formerly WASTE COOP) advisors contributed to a comprehensive assessment of the solid waste management (SWM) system in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The project focused on understanding how the waste system functions in practice — from collection to processing — and identifying key gaps and opportunities for improvement, with a specific focus on the plastic value chain.

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The Challenge

Urban waste systems are often fragmented, with limited visibility across the full value chain.

In Lilongwe, existing data and tools provided partial insights, but there was a need to:

• better understand how the system operates in reality
• identify inefficiencies and gaps across the value chain
• generate actionable insights to inform future investments and interventions

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Our Approach

We combined systems analysis, diagnostic tools and targeted research to build a comprehensive picture of the waste system.

This included:

• Desk review of existing data on municipal solid waste management (MSWM)
• Gap analysis to identify system inefficiencies and missing links
• Plastic value chain analysis to understand material flows and opportunities
• Application of the WACT tool (Waste Wise Cities, UN-Habitat) to assess service delivery and system performance
• Collaboration with local partners (WASTE Malawi) to ensure contextual relevance and alignment

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What We Delivered

The project resulted in a set of practical outputs to support decision-making and future programming:

• Solid Waste Management Value Chain Assessment for Lilongwe
• SQUAT tool-based evaluation (city-level diagnostic dataset)
• Waste flow diagram visualising how materials move through the system

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Impact & Outcomes

The assessment provided a clear, system-wide understanding of how waste management functions in Lilongwe, including:

• identification of key gaps and inefficiencies
• improved visibility of the plastic value chain
• a foundation for evidence-based planning and investment

The work directly informed follow-up initiatives, including the development of a subsequent project and further refinement of system diagnostic tools.

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Looking Ahead

This work contributed to the continued development of the SQUAT tool and informed future system-strengthening efforts in Lilongwe and beyond.

It demonstrates the value of combining practical tools, local collaboration and systems thinking to support more effective and inclusive urban services.