In its cover letter accompanying the National Solid Waste Management Strategy he has signed in 2018 for a 10-year period, the Environmental Commissioner states that “Waste disposal is the main problem with the current solid waste management in Namibia” and “improved hazardous waste management is needed, for example in terms of more disposal facilities, regulations, guidelines, monitoring and enforcement”. His strategic aim is to make Namibia become “a leading country in Africa in terms of solid waste management in 2028”.
Namwaste was established in response to Namibia’s growing need for higher-standard hazardous waste infrastructure capable of supporting the country’s future industrial growth.
As Namibia continues to industrialise, hazardous waste volumes are increasing across sectors such as mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and large-scale infrastructure development. Historically, compliant hazardous waste disposal solutions within the country have been limited, creating environmental risks, operational uncertainty, and long-term stockpiling concerns for waste generators.
The expected expansion of Namibia’s oil and gas sector, alongside continued growth in mining and green energy sectors, will further increase the demand for specialised hazardous waste treatment and disposal solutions.
Namwaste was developed to address both the infrastructure gap and the growing need for internationally aligned environmental standards, traceability, and compliance within Namibia’s waste management sector.
Based on Seche Environnement experience in 17 countries, in the hazardous waste treatment and disposal sector, Namwaste decided to implement best practices for its development in Namibia. Thus, the design, the construction and the operation of the Namwaste Management Facilities comply with the South-African regulation.
Therefore, Namwaste operates according to four core principles designed to ensure long-term environmental protection, operational safety, and regulatory accountability.
As the lifespan of the facility is initially around 100 years, the facility has been designed to meet strict engineering and environmental protection requirements, ensuring long-term containment and operational integrity across multiple generations.
Every waste stream undergoes strict verification, classification, compatibility, and risk assessment before entering the facility to ensure safe handling, treatment, storage, and disposal.
Traceability is key in waste management as it is the only way to make sure all waste are treated and/or disposed of in compliant facilities.
Namwaste operates within a transparent traceability system that tracks waste from collection through to final disposal, reinforcing accountability and regulatory compliance throughout the waste lifecycle.
Every phase of the waste management (collection, transport, treatment, disposal, invoicing) is automatically tracked through a system called D365.
According to the Environment Management Plan approved by the Environmental Commissioner, comprehensive groundwater and air quality monitoring systems operate throughout the lifespan of the facility, including post-closure rehabilitation and monitoring phases. Based on the baselines developed prior to the construction phase, Namwaste is monitoring any potential impact on the environment. For that purpose, a network of boreholes is monitored by a third-party specialist to control the level and the quality of the groundwater. Likewise, some devices, disseminated between the closest residential area and the site provide data about any potential changes in the air quality.
Moreover, these monitoring operations will continue after the site is fully rehabilitated during an additional period of thirty years to make sure there is no impact in the long run.
