The Congo River is the world’s second-largest river by discharge and one of the planet’s richest freshwater ecosystems. Its fisheries produce an estimated 60,000 tonnes of fish each year, sustaining the food security and livelihoods of millions of people. Today, this vital ecosystem is increasingly threatened by Kinshasa’s growing waste crisis.
Home to nearly 20 million people, Kinshasa is one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities. With its population increasing by 4.4% every year, the city is projected to exceed 22 million inhabitants by 2030. Yet investment in essential infrastructure—particularly sanitation and waste management—has failed to keep pace with this rapid urban growth.
Each year, Kinshasa generates almost 4 million tonnes of waste, but less than 5% is effectively collected. Every day, at least 10 tonnes of plastic waste accumulate in streets, markets and drainage channels before being washed into tributaries and eventually the Congo River. As drains become blocked, heavy rains increasingly trigger devastating floods. In Kinshasa, flooding is no longer driven by extreme weather alone—it is also the consequence of inadequate waste management and unplanned urban expansion into flood-prone areas.
The impacts reach far beyond the city’s streets. Plastic pollution is degrading freshwater ecosystems that millions depend on. A 2023 study by the University of Kinshasa found that discarded plastics gradually break down into microplastics under the sun. These particles are ingested by fish and may ultimately enter the human food chain, threatening both aquatic biodiversity and food security.
Yet the city is also overlooking a valuable resource. Without effective systems for sorting, recycling and recovering waste, Kinshasa is missing an opportunity to create jobs, generate income and build a circular economy. Young people, women and local communities are already showing that another model is possible—one where waste becomes a driver of cleaner neighbourhoods, healthier ecosystems and more resilient cities.
Promoting cleaner neighbourhoods through community awareness
LOGOS 1er raises awareness about waste sorting and urban sanitation through outreach in schools, universities, churches and local markets. By engaging people where they live, study and gather, the organisation encourages everyday actions that help reduce pollution and prevent flooding.
Mobilising young people to restore urban environments
In the municipalities of Kitambo and Ngaba, LOGOS 1er organises community clean-up campaigns around schools and universities while involving children living on the streets. The initiative improves neighbourhood sanitation while giving vulnerable young people a meaningful role in protecting their communities.
Planting trees to reduce erosion
The organisation also leads tree-planting initiatives in schools and universities, helping reduce soil erosion, strengthen resilience to flooding and foster environmental stewardship among younger generations.
Affectionately known as “Mama Jeannette,” Jeannette Bosingizi Sulia is a social entrepreneur and environmental activist who has spent more than twenty-five years championing community-based solutions to urban waste in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Awarded the Woman of Courage Prize in 2012 and recognised at international forums including COP23 and COP24, she advocates for a greener urban future built on community action, environmental education and the circular economy.
One of her earliest initiatives demonstrated that plastic waste could become a valuable resource by transforming discarded plastic into waste collection bins. The pilot project helped shift perceptions of waste—from something to be discarded to a resource that can create environmental and social value.
