UGANDA DIALOGUE ARENA [UDA]:
CHAMPIONING ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY THROUGH YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
As the world commemorates World Environment Day 2025, one organization stands out for its relentless efforts in fostering environmental consciousness among Uganda’s youth, Uganda Dialogue Arena [UDA]. Through innovative projects like the Green Schools Initiative, climate-focused competitions, and grassroots educational initiatives, UDA is shaping a generation of environmentally conscious leaders equipped to tackle the pressing challenges of climate change.
Leading the Green Schools Movement
In partnership with Vision Group and supported by the Swedish Embassy, UDA successfully executed the Green Schools Initiative across 10 regions in Uganda in 2023 and 2024. This initiative didn’t just engage students in competitive debate—it immersed them in practical projects on sustainability, climate adaptation, and environmental stewardship through the gardening track.
Beyond debates, UDA provided technical expertise in adjudication and data analysis, ensuring that the discourse was not only competitive but also intellectually enriching. The championship has since become a benchmark for youth-led environmental advocacy, inspiring schools nationwide to integrate eco-consciousness into their curricula. But also adopt these as school lifestyles.
Beyond Debates: Practical Climate Action
UDA’s commitment extends beyond theoretical discourse. The organization has pioneered, hands-on climate adaptation projects, including:
- Plastic Waste Innovations: Transforming discarded plastics into creative decorations, demonstrating the potential of upcycling.
- Tech-Driven Climate Solutions: Encouraging young innovators to develop sustainable technological fixes for environmental challenges.
- Essay Competitions: Stimulating written expression on climate issues, fostering deeper reflection among students.
Expanding the Impact: The National Primary Genius Challenge
In June 2025, UDA in collaboration with the National Private Educational Institutions Association Uganda NPEIA-UG, launched the National Primary Genius Challenge. The initiative incorporates quizzes, poetry, and spelling competitions centered on Science, Climate Change, and Technology.
By targeting primary school learners, UDA ensures that environmental literacy begins at the grassroots, cultivating a culture of *sustainability and lifestyle audits from an early age.
A Legacy of Youth Empowerment
Founded in 2015 as the Uganda Youth Debating Society [UYDS], UDA has evolved into a dynamic platform that empowers young people through debate, public speaking, quizzes, and dialogue. Over the years, the organization has:
- Conducted debates, workshops, and career guidance sessions in schools nationwide, including elementary, secondary, and tertiary institutions.
- Provided a safe space for youth to engage in national discourse on critical issues.
- Positioned itself as a leader in innovative educational advocacy.
The Uganda Dialogue Arena (UDA) has been working closely with secondary schools in awareness campaigns with the aim of responding to climate change by implementing innovative student-led climate change adaptation educational projects in different schools in Uganda.
This article is a fitting tribute to this year’s theme. At UDA our grassroots impact, youth-driven climate action, and scalable initiatives perfectly align with global environmental advocacy goals. We believe this is the humble contribution we can offer to the environmental cause.
Join the Movement
Uganda Dialogue Arena is more than just a debate society, it’s a movement. A movement that proves that when young people are given the tools, knowledge, and platform, they become the most powerful agents of change.
For partnerships, collaborations, or to learn more about UDA’s initiatives, contact:
Uganda Dialogue Arena
0786497837 / 0774538369
SUSTAINABILITY: THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING IS GREEN
The manufacturing sector is poised to be a key driver in propelling Uganda toward its ambitious ten-fold development agenda, from a USD 50 billion to a USD 500 billion economy.
However, this industrial acceleration must not come at the cost of environmental degradation. As we scale up production, the urgency to embed sustainability into our industrial strategies has never been more critical. Simply put, the future of manufacturing is green.
Globally, industrial activities are among the largest contributors to air pollution, emitting harmful substances such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. These emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels, chemical production, and metal smelting, not only lead to respiratory illnesses and acid rain but also exacerbate climate change by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
At the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), we recognize the vital role of manufacturing in economic development, but we are equally committed to ensuring that industrial growth aligns with environmental sustainability. That commitment is embodied in the Green Industry Agenda, a comprehensive framework designed to steer Uganda’s manufacturing sector toward a more sustainable future.
The Green Industry Agenda is anchored by six strategic pillars: Environmental Conservation (Mitigation and Adaptation); Green Energy and Energy Transition; Green Self-Regulation Practices; Industrial and Consumer Waste Management; Capacity Building and Awareness Creation on the Green Agenda; Green Research, Innovation, Policy, and Advocacy. These pillars form the foundation for guiding over 1,829 UMA member companies toward sustainable industrial practices.
A practical example of this vision in action is UMA’s 2022 partnership with GIZ, which led to the creation of Uganda’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) organization. This groundbreaking initiative brought together leading beverage companies, Mukwano, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Uganda Breweries Limited, and Hariss International, to implement EPR principles in managing PET plastic waste.
The result? A significant reduction in PET waste across the country, driven by its monetization and recycling through the now formally registered Green Action for Sustainable Production. Despite generating over 600 metric tons of waste daily, equating to more than 219,000 metric tons annually, Uganda only collects 27% of it, according to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
UMA is actively addressing this gap. One major challenge lies in the use of light polythene materials. While government discussions focus on banning such plastics, UMA is advocating for an alternative approach, monetizing the waste value chain. This strategy not only reduces environmental impact but also spurs job creation and industrial expansion.
As Uganda prepares to tap into its estimated 1.4 billion barrels of oil reserves, the plastics sector stands to play a central role in the value chain. However, this must be matched with responsible waste management solutions, not bans. Creating a circular economy through innovation, recycling, and value addition is vital to balancing development with environmental protection.
Looking ahead, UMA is championing the adoption of the 7Rs: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, and Recover. We believe that sustainability must be a cross-cutting agenda across all manufacturing subsectors. Waste management and environmental transformation should not be segmented or selective, it must be a collective national priority.
We therefore welcome partnerships and collaborations from all stakeholders, public, private, local, and international, to co-create Uganda’s green industrial future. Because at UMA, we firmly believe industrialization and sustainability are not mutually exclusive—they go hand in hand.
Kibekityo Gilbert, Research and Policy Analyst,
Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA)
PARTNERSHIPS ARE THE KEY TO TACKLING THE PLASTIC WASTE ISSUE IN UGANDA
Last year, the National Research Repository of Uganda (NRU) reported that imports and use of packaging and plastics in Uganda have increased six-fold within the last three years. While this is a sign of a growing and diversifying consumer economy, which creates business and employment opportunities for more Ugandans, it has also accelerated the challenge for sustainable management and recycling of plastic waste.
Plastic has become an indispensable part of modern life, providing a hygienic, affordable, lightweight and convenient packaging material for food and beverage products, but plastic pollution also threatens the sustainability of freshwater systems and marine life.
Although demand for recycled plastic continues to grow – driven, in part, by a commitment from brand owners to incorporate recycled content into their products, overall Uganda’s recycling rate remains very low as indicated by a National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) report.
As a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), our commitment at Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) is to invest in our planet and our packaging, to help make the packaging problem a thing of the past. We work in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company which launched a sustainable packaging initiative called World Without Waste in 2018.
Our aim is to help collect a bottle for every one we sell by 2030, make all our packaging 100% recyclable by 2025 and make 25% of our packaging reusable by 2030.
We believe that industry led and managed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a sustainable funding approach which ensures that producers of brands take full responsibility for the choice of packaging they place on the market, and enable the collection and recycling value chain for packaging.
To increase consumer and community awareness and clean up existing packaging, we’re bringing people together through ongoing local activities to collect and recycle plastic waste. To encourage more people to recycle more often, we’re investing to help people understand what to recycle, how to recycle, and where to recycle.
And we are reimagining our packaging to make it better for our planet and our business. We are working to make packaging part of a circular economy, placing a strong emphasis on packaging design, and expanding the use of clear and returnable plastic bottles.
We are well on our way to achieving our ambition of a 100% recycling rate. Last year, CCBU achieved an 85% collection rate, compared to an industry average of 41%.
CCBU, through its plastic recycling plant, Plastic Recycling Industries (PRI) in Nakawa, has partnered with various role players to promote recycling and reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the environment.
We have partnered with Stanbic Bank Uganda to identify designated collection spaces that will serve as plastic waste collection centres around Uganda, ensure appropriate security and maintenance of the collection centres, and encourage and equip the public to dispose of waste in a sustainable manner.
CCBU has also signed a partnership deal with three community-based plastic collection, management, and recycling companies – Yo-Waste, Ecoplastile and Asante Waste Management – to build a sustainable ecosystem.
The partnership will see the three companies collaborate with CCBU to set-up more collection centres in the community and supply our plastic recycling plant with the plastic collected.
As a result of this support Ecoplastile aims to expand its recycling capacity from 30 metric tonnes of plastic per month to around 150 metric tonnes. This will enable the company to work with at least 1,050 informal plastic waste collectors, empowering youth and women in communities. Ecoplastile uses the recycled plastic to make roofing tiles.
Yo-Waste Limited is a tech company that helps connect businesses and retail customers to reliable garbage collection and recyclers. The company was incorporated as a startup by five Makerere University computer science undergrad students in 2019 to implement their research projects in the community.
Leading logistics company DHL International (Uganda) has also signed a partnership with CCBU’s plastic recycling plant, PRI, to supply it with plastic waste.
Supporting the establishment of a circular economy for plastic waste has many environmental and economic benefits since recycling has the potential to create over 50 times as many jobs as landfills and incinerators. Thousands involved in the different stages of plastic recycling are already benefiting, especially women and youth.
At CCBU, we are a proud industry leader in developing increasingly sustainable ways to manufacture, distribute and sell our products. We use our industry leadership to be part of the solution to achieve positive change in the world and to build a more sustainable future for our planet.
Regardless of where it comes from, we want every package to have more than one life.
The problem of plastic waste in Africa, and its impact on water resources, requires concerted efforts from governments, corporates, civil society organisations and individuals. By working together, we can create a more sustainable future for our precious water resources and the communities that depend on them.
Melkamu Abebe, General Manager of Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda
INNOVATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: TRANSFORMING PLASTIC INTO HIGH QUALITY SEWING THREADS
Plastic waste presents a serious global challenge. According to the United Nations, the world is producing 430 million Tons of plastic per year – a staggering 66% of which are only used for a short period of time, including single-use plastics such as water bottles, food packaging and plastic utensils. This brief life cycle has consequences: every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes. As a result, plastic pollution is set to triple by 2060 if no action is taken.
In Uganda alone, current statistics from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) show that the country generates 600 metric tons of plastics daily. About 40% of plastic waste is collected for disposal and 60% is left in the environment. Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, itself generates 800,000 metric tons of plastic every year.
Faced with such urgency, Hellen Munyasa, a youth partner under the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Youth4Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Facility is innovatively transforming plastics to high quality sewing threads through her company Helton Traders.
Through an innovative recycling process, the start-up collects plastic, shreds it into small pieces, mixes it with cotton waste, and transforms it into thread which is later sold in markets across Uganda.
By manufacturing locally, Helton Traders reduces costs incurred by textile traders from import taxes, transportation and enables faster delivery (4-7 days) to customers. Their sustainable and eco-friendly practices also appeal to businesses seeking an environmentally conscious supply chain.
“When UNDP came in, they greatly helped us, and they are still helping us. We received a grant and are also receiving business training and mentorship. Through the forums we attended, we have been able to understand our business very well and have also been connected to major players in the manufacturing industry. This has enabled us to be investor ready,” said Hellen Munyansa, Helton Traders.
With UNDP‘s support, Hellen has been able to forge partnerships with major stakeholders in the manufacturing industry, like Fine Spinners who have provided her with the machinery to produce final products for the market. Through platforms like YouthConnekt Africa, she has also connected to other young entrepreneurs in Kigali and Nairobi to generate ideas.
As the world commemorates World Environment Day, the voices and visions of creative and innovative entrepreneurs such as Hellen Munyasa must be amplified. Voices that advance creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental protection as pathways to human development and empowerment of marginalized groups, particularly women and youth.
It is on this note that UNDP is working with the Government of Uganda and stakeholders to nurture Uganda’s creative ecosystem, providing support to young entrepreneurs like Hellen who depend on the growth of this sector for their livelihood, and to create job opportunities for more young people. Hellen is a participant and beneficiary of the UNDP Innovation Challenge, which has supported 49 different individuals and enterprises in the creative and cultural industry of Uganda.
The UNDP in Uganda Country Programme for 2021-2025, has prioritized inclusive and sustainable growth with a major focus on the youth. UNDP is already implementing the following initiatives to promote and support creative industries:
•Youth4Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Facility.
•SMEs4Trade initiative with a focus on harnessing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
•PEARL Innovation Challenge in tourism.
•Rapid Project to Harness Nature and Technology to recover and build back a resilient tourism sector.
•Youth Re-Skilling and Entrepreneurship Training to tackle critical skills gaps.
Plastic pollution threatens our health, the environment, and socio-economic development. As we strive toward zero waste communities, we need everyone on board – Government, private sector, development partners, civil society, creative, innovators, entrepreneurs, and communities – to tackle this global challenge and achieve a sustainable future for all. This is a call to action for all: join forces and address one of the most urgent challenges we face. Together, we can create a future that is more sustainable, resilient, and fair. Yes, it’s possible!
Joel Akena, Communications Specialist