Exploring Circular Economy Awareness, Perceptions and Practices in Selected Urban Slums in Kigali City of Rwanda

The circular economyCircular economy (CECE) has garnered much attention due to its potential to contribute to sustainable development. While CE initiatives, such as container-based toilets, waste upcyclingUpcycling, biomass energy generation, and circular building materialsBuilding materials, hold promise for improving infrastructure and economicEconomic opportunities, particularly in slums, there are different and at times contradictory perceptionsPerception of the concept of CE. Leveraging CE potentials thus requires a better understanding of CE awarenessAwareness and perceptionsPerception. To explore CE in the context of Rwandan slums, this book chapter sought to answer the following two research questions: What is the level of CE awarenessAwareness and which perceptions prevail in Kigali’s slums? What are the key CE-related practicesPractices in Kigali’s slums? Fifteen key informant interviews and 12 focus group discussions were conducted with stakeholders in the slums of Kigali’s districts Kicukiro, Gasabo, and Nyarugenge. The findings reveal that circularity is present in the slums, albeit informally, with little emphasis on business and entrepreneurship. Repurposing emerged as the most prominent circular practice. Besides, the study uncovered a significant skills gap in waste sorting, which is critical as Rwanda seeks to implement a national policy requiring waste sorting at the source.