Rwanda calls on European investors for sustainable packaging transition

04 Jul 2023 --- Rwanda is looking for investors in environmentally sustainable packaging, according to the deputy director general of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), Faustin Munyazikwiye.

He was speaking in a panel discussion on “Packaging and Logistics in Agribusiness” on the sidelines of the EU-Rwanda Business Forum, reported the New Times, Rwanda’s largest private media organization.

The EU-Rwanda Business Forum, the first of its kind, was held in Kigali, Rwanda, between June 26-27, to facilitate bilateral trade and investment relations.

The forum, themed “Rwanda – Your Gateway to Africa,” brought together over 600 participants from Rwanda and Europe, encouraging European trade and investment in Rwanda by highlighting economic opportunities and potential and showcasing Rwanda’s advantages as a regional hub.

The event promoted Rwanda as a business destination, boosted EU investment to create jobs and promoted sustainable and diversified growth. The business forum also featured the development of financial institutions that explored investment opportunities under the European Fund for Sustainable Development – one of the Global Gateway’s funding tools.

The forum brought together over 600 participants from Rwanda and Europe.Slashing Rwandan plastic waste
Jointly organized by the EU, its member states and the Rwanda Development Board in partnership with the European Business Chamber of Rwanda and the Rwandan private sector, the forum provided an opportunity for information exchange, dialogue and networking.

The forum also featured a first segment dealing with cross-cutting issues linked to trade and investment in the country. It was said to be followed by breakout sessions on the selected strategic sectors, including agriculture and agri processing, health and pharmaceutical, mining, green and sustainable economy.

Munyazikwiye reportedly highlighted that innovation, research and raw materials are fundamentals to reaching sustainable packaging solutions and ending plastic pollution in the country.

Last year, the World Bank conducted an ex-post analysis of select policies regarding plastic waste management to assess policy effectiveness in plastic waste management in Rwanda.

The ex-post analysis concluded that the package of existing national laws and policies has generated a noticeable result for plastic waste control and positive environmental, social, and institutional impacts, despite some identified financial costs to government, residents and businesses.

Afri-Plastics Challenge
In December, Rwanda presented its 14-year US$211.3 million circular economy action plan for African waste management at the 6th World Circular Economy Forum 2022 in Kigali.

The action plan envisions that by 2035 Rwanda’s economy will have placed circularity at its core, ensuring the retention of resources and eliminating waste and pollution while regenerating natural systems.

In related news, Nesta’s social enterprise Challenge Works delivered the Afri-Plastics Challenge in March, awarding a total of £4.1 million (US$5 million) funded by the Canadian government to scale innovations to tackle plastic waste and minimize ocean-bound plastic.

The challenge was divided into three strands, with three winners each – including innovations in recycling facilities, biodegradable and compostable material development and awareness campaigns.

“Across three challenge strands, the Afri-Plastics Challenge sought out human-centered solutions that could improve recycling rates of waste plastic, reduce volumes of plastic entering the value chain and influence behavior change through creative campaigns,” Jonty Slater, director of international development at Challenge Works, told Packaging Insights.

By Natalie Schwertheim

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