Dar Safi Bahari Safi is a project designed to combat plastic waste pollution in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where an estimated 22,500 tonnes of plastic waste leak into the ocean annually, making the city one of Africa's largest contributors to marine plastic pollution. With only 35% of municipal solid waste collected and just 10–15% of recyclables recovered, the majority of waste remains unmanaged, polluting rivers, coastal areas, and the Indian Ocean. Plastic waste accounts for over 70% of litter found on Dar es Salaam's beaches, threatening marine ecosystems, fisheries, and public health. 

Funded by the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany (BMUV) and led by HafenCity University Hamburg, Dar Safi introduces systematic, sustainable, and scalable solutions to improve plastic waste management and prevent further environmental damage.

Policy, Capacity, Infrastructure for the Impact

Dar Safi aims to strengthen national policies and local action plans to improve solid waste management by establishing clear regulations, enforcement mechanisms and institutional support to ensure a structured and accountable system that effectively reduces plastic waste and promotes long-term sustainability. At the same time, the project equips government agencies, local communities and waste collectors with the skills and knowledge to implement efficient waste management strategies, improve collection practices and increase recycling efforts, while promoting community engagement and public awareness of responsible waste management. To complement these efforts, Dar Safi will establish a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and a structured waste collection system, preventing 325 tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean each year, demonstrating a scalable and effective model for waste management. All project components are accompanied by applied research, compiling and disseminating lessons learned from the project in peer reviewed publications and on sector conferences, as well as academic training material.

Scalable Model for the Future

Dar Safi aims to set a new benchmark for waste management in Dar es Salaam by integrating evidence and local knowledge-based waste management strategies. The outcomes of the project will not only improve the efficiency of waste collection and recycling in Dar es Salaam, but also serve as a scalable and replicable model for cities around the world facing similar plastic pollution challenges.

Project Partners

The project is led by HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU), with its two research units - Environmental Urban and Infrastructure Planning (USIP) and City Science Lab (CSL) - in collaboration with consortium partners: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Ardhi University (ARU), Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association e.V. (BORDA) and SweepSmart B.V. (SWS).

Please contact Mert Can Yilmaz for more information about the project.