More than 17 million people live in Kinshasa. Every day, the city produces about 12,000 tonnes of waste, and almost 98% of it is burned or dumped in the open. These three figures come from the World Bank, which published them on 28 April 2026.
Almost 98% of the waste is burned or dumped in the open.
What it means in the neighbourhoods
Greenpeace Africa noted in July 2026 that plastic waste blocks drains and makes flooding worse. When the piles burn, the smoke gets into homes.
The public bodies
Since March 2025, REGEDEK, Kinshasa's waste management agency, has organised the pre-collection of household waste. RASKIN takes it away for treatment. The World Bank funds the Kin la Belle programme, approved on 28 April 2026.
VIPRO works alongside these public efforts. The programme targets the link that is still missing: drop-off points close to homes, collectors paid by the kilo, and a plant that transforms what is collected.
Sources
All our figures and their sources are on the Where our figures come from page.
