Circular solutions for industrial pollution

Project summary

Industrial pollution is a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries, with significant impacts on health and ecosystems. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) established the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) programme to drive scalable solutions to tackle manufacturing and plastics pollution across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The background

Industrial pollution is a major challenge to human health, ecosystems and economic development. In low- and middle-income countries environmental infrastructure often lags behind industrial growth. Manufacturing activities contribute significantly to air and water contamination, with air pollution linked to millions of premature deaths annually and water pollution causing further harm.

Plastic waste compounds these impacts, overwhelming waste management systems and contaminating land and waterways. In response to this issue, the FCDO and UNCTAD established the SMEP programme, with RSK business Pegasys leading programme management, delivery, stakeholder engagement and results monitoring.

The challenges

Manufacturing in many target regions is expanding rapidly, often within weak regulatory environments, resulting in uncontrolled pollution that harms people and ecosystems. Air and water pollution from factories remains widespread, driven by outdated technologies and limited safeguards. This exposes nearby communities to long-term health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Plastic waste presents an escalating challenge, with heavy reliance on single-use materials and insufficient waste systems leading to contamination across land, waterways and food chains. These issues are compounded by the prevalence of informal manufacturing, as small, unregistered enterprises often lack basic environmental and safety standards. This exposes workers, particularly women and marginalised groups, to unsafe conditions, while reinforcing cycles of pollution and inequality.

The solutions

Pegasys managed the SMEP programme using a data-led and collaborative approach, grounded in baseline research undertaken between 2020 and 2021 to identify pollution hotspots and assess their environmental and health impacts. This evidence base informed targeted interventions across priority areas including plastic waste, circular economy and water, textiles, tanneries and used lead-acid batteries.

The programme invests in research and innovation to develop practical, scalable solutions such as pollution control technologies, improved manufacturing approaches and enabling policy frameworks. Competitive funding calls have allocated the £18.9 million budget to support innovation, including targeted investment in plastics solutions focused on material substitution, improved product design and end-of-life recovery.

The programme pilots and tests interventions to demonstrate their technical and economic feasibility, supporting wider replication and adoption. Across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, more than 25 projects have delivered tangible outcomes, including waste-to-resource innovations, plastic recovery systems and extensive stakeholder engagement that ensures solutions are both technically robust and locally relevant.

In Kenya, Gjenge Makers has transformed plastic waste into construction materials, producing 2069 roof tiles and 67 tonnes of PET bales. In India, Green Delight Innovations diverted 7642 tonnes of organic waste into 2764 tonnes of marketable products, enhancing soil health and agricultural productivity. In Bangladesh and Uganda, initiatives led by Recykal and Takataka Plastics are improving plastic recovery, strengthening inclusion and creating jobs.

Under Pegasys’s programme management, SMEP is demonstrating how targeted investment in research and innovation can reduce pollution while enabling inclusive, market-ready solutions.

The impact

SMEP has delivered measurable progress in reducing pollution, improving resource efficiency and advancing circular economy practices. Between April 2022 and June 2025, funded initiatives diverted 1168 tonnes of plastic waste and 28,256.6 tonnes of organic waste from open-air burning, preventing chemicals leeching into the environment or landfill. This waste was repurposed through circular methods: plastics into recycled plastic furniture and construction materials and organic waste into compost, alternative animal feed and biochar.

The programme has developed new biodegradable material alternatives and has supported the treatment of industrial wastewater using advanced treatment technologies such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. Over seven years, the technology used in SMEP’s Textile Wastewater Management project is estimated to enable 50% water reuse, save 756,000 m³ of groundwater and avoid 78,583 tCO2e emissions. As the textile sector contributes over 12% of Bangladesh’s national greenhouse gas emissions and 8.2% of its electricity use, scaling such solutions can drive widespread decarbonisation and boost sectoral competitiveness.

SMEP-supported enterprises have demonstrated scalable circular solutions, producing roof tiles and PET bales from recycled plastic. The programme also prioritises inclusion, with youth and women-led “garbage in, value out” centres and community initiatives such as Lamu Island’s plastic recovery ecosystem generating livelihoods and value-added products.

Through policy collaboration, including improved lead-acid battery management, SMEP provides a scalable model for reducing pollution while advancing inclusive, sustainable manufacturing.