Freetown City Council (FCC), with support from the World Bank, on Thursday 17 July concluded a two-day intensive training session aimed at strengthening the capacity of approved waste service providers ahead of the successful implementation of Freetown’s new waste management system.

The training, Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said, represents a key milestone in FCC’s broader commitment to transforming the city’s waste management sector aimed at fostering cleaner communities and a more sustainable city. This training also forms a vital component of FCC’s #DortiMusGo campaign, launched in June 2025 to tackle poor waste disposal and boost sanitation across Freetown.

The sessions covered a comprehensive range of topics critical to the effective rollout of the new system. These included: FCC’s waste management strategy, provisions under the new byelaws and their enforcement mechanisms, customer  responsibilities and service provider expectations, service quality standards, reporting and data protocols, viable business models, registration and community engagement strategies, stakeholders mapping and risk mitigation. Topics also included: ethical practices, communication, branding, marketing, complaint resolution systems, integration of recycling into the waste value chain, enhancing operational practices and the adoption of digital payment systems.

Under the newly enacted sanitation byelaws, Freetown’s communities have been grouped into eight waste management blocks to enhance service delivery and accountability. Waste collection and disposal will now be handled exclusively by FCC-approved waste management companies. All residents and businesses are required to register with these service providers and pay for their waste collection services. Penalties will be imposed on those who fail to comply.

As part of the new structure, FCC has assigned specific wards and blocks to approved Waste Service Providers as follows: Eco Spring (SL) Limited: Wards 399–404 and 435–440 (Blocks 1 and 7): SEEDAC Solutions (SL) Limited: Wards 417–422 and 423–428 (Blocks 4 and 5); Freetown Waste Transformers: Wards 429–434 (Block 6); Alphatek Global (SL) Limited: Wards 441–446 (Block 8). Each service provider is mandated to deliver high-quality waste collection services in accordance with FCC’s revised standards and regulations.

In the first three weeks of the ongoing citywide registration, more than 4,200 households and businesses have already registered across seven of the eight blocks marking encouraging progress in this transformative process.