#RILPlasticsStories in Hargeisa No.4:What Businesses Are Throwing Away

Plastic is widely used in Hargeisa because it is affordable, lightweight, accessible, and convenient for everyday business operations. Yet despite its widespread use and potential for reuse or recycling, most businesses still perceive plastic waste as having little or no value — largely because they rarely encounter buyers or systems that support plastic recovery.

Businesses are already motivated to keep their environments clean due to customer expectations, reputational concerns, and social and religious norms around cleanliness. However, waste management is largely focused on removal rather than recovery. Plastic waste is routinely placed in designated disposal areas and collected through existing waste collection systems, with little consideration for sorting or recycling.

This highlights a key challenge: businesses are not necessarily resistant to recycling — they often lack the incentives, knowledge, dedicated human resources, and systems that make recovery practical and worthwhile.

Stay tuned as we explore the role businesses can play in strengthening plastic recovery in Hargeisa.

This insight piece is based on a qualitative study conducted under the Social Plastics for Economic Development in Somalia project, a strategic initiative that seeks to transform the country’s critical plastic waste crisis into a catalyst for sustainable economic growth and livelihood opportunities. The project is implemented in partnership with Engineers Without Borders Norway and World Vision Somalia, and funded by Innovation Norway.‍ ‍