The project aim is to harness the Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-use and Energy (FABLE) nexus through upscaling Waste-to-Wealth Enterprises (WWE). conceptually, scalable bio-waste recycling operations generate bio-energy (biogas and briquettes), organic fertilizers and biocides to help in; a) substituting firewood/charcoal with bio-energy; b) promoting organic farming; c) improving municipal sanitation; d) reducing youths unemployment. This iinnovative pathway, based on entrepreneurship and inter-sector linkages goes beyond technology, equipment and physical infrastructure. It incorporates non-tech initiatives that include psycho-social, cultural; economic and policy dimensions for sustainable development. WWE projects piloted so far make economic sense even in absence of social-benefit accounting.

Developing and demonstrating technical & business models of waste-wealth-enterprises (WWE) include; a. Technical processes: Supported by Uganda National Biogas Association (UNBA), a community-based biogas unit has been set-up at Ndejje trading centre to demonstrate biogas productions. With support from UNREEEA and GIZ, a one-stop canter for demonstrating all forms of renewable energy (including solar, wind energy, biomass and biogas is being planned at the main campus of Ndejje University in Luweero District. b. Entrepreneurial processes; this dimension focuses on the business aspects of producing bioenergy at affordable costs and technical requirements. The processes rotate around; feasibility/cost-benefit analyses; returns on investment/pay-back analyses; branding, marketing and distribution networks; analysis of competitiveness of briquettes and biogas relative to traditional energy (firewood, charcoal, electricity) i. The proof-of-concept briquettes production project at St Kizito High School; a complete chain of briquettes production and consumption has been piloted successfully at the school; with the following components; i) waste collection bins used to collect and sort waste at source ii) a carboniser that transforms bio-waste into carbon; iii) a unit that crushes carbon into biochar; iv) an extruder that produces briquettes; v) a solar drier that removes moisture from the briquettes; vi) packaging unit; vii) facilities for storage and transportation of briquettes; viii) a commercial scale oven that uses briquettes to bake; ix) a kitchen representing use of briquettes for household cooking; x) school kitchen representing institutional cooking; stoves that use briquettes for institutional cooking; xi) Smart agricultural units that use biochar (and ash from stoves) as fertilisers and biocides. Students and neighbouring communities are practically taken through the stages. The project reveals that; i) an educational institution can depend on briquettes for cooking (without firewood being used); ii) cooking for 1100 students consumes 7000 Kg of briquettes in 100 days; iii) by producing 7000 kg of briquettes, the average net income generated is $ 1000. With capital investment of $ 12,250, operational costs of $1000 and payback period on investment at 14.7 months. ii. Integration of waste recycling with Smart Agriculture. The organic waste that do not make good briquettes is converted into biochar and applied into organic farming. NDU also demonstrates designs for making biocides and disinfectants from bio-waste. An irrigation system powered by solar energy has been developed. Space is optimally utilized in growing high value vegetables. Ornamental gardening is also demonstrated to represent aspects of municipal beautification and greening.

Kampala Capital City Authority Uganda National Council of Science and Technology National water and Sewerage Corporation Ministries of a) Energy and Mineral Development Water and Environment Uganda National Biogas Association Biomass Energy Efficient Technologies Association Uganda National Renewable Energy Alliance