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World Environment Day is observed annually on 5 June to raise awareness and encourage action for environmental protection. The 2026 theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” is a global call to advance climate action through nature inspired and nature positive solutions. It emphasises the critical role of harnessing nature’s potential to address climate change, strengthen resilience, and build a more sustainable future.
At BioInnovate Africa, we support scientists in eastern Africa to transform biological resources into sustainable solutions that address the most pressing challenges of the continent, including climate risks.
On this World Environment Day, we highlight three BioInnovate Africa supported projects that harness nature to develop sustainable products and services and contribute to climate risk reduction and environmental protection, while also creating economic opportunities for youth and communities.
Turning biowaste into sustainable packaging
A BioInnovate Africa-supported project is developing eco-friendly packaging products from biowastes. The project turns cassava waste and other agricultural by-products into bioplastics used to produce biodegradable packaging materials. Bioplastics are a sustainable alternative to synthetic plastics, which pollute the environment. By converting biowaste into biodegradable packaging materials, such alternatives support a circular bioeconomy that offers promising pathways toward a low-carbon future. They could also be applied in areas like pest control during grain storage, contributing to improved food security and the creation of green jobs in an environmentally friendly way. The project is currently at the prototype stage and is led by Kyambogo University in Uganda, with partners including ORIBAGS Innovations Uganda Limited, Ardhi University in Tanzania, and Institute of Policy Analysis and Research in Rwanda.
Using microorganisms to improve soil health
Another BioInnovate Africa supported project has developed a biofertilizer from urban and rural waste enriched with beneficial microorganisms. These naturally occurring microorganisms, Rhizobia and Mycorrhizae, improve soil fertility, promote efficient nutrient uptake, enhance crop productivity, and transform farmers’ livelihoods. This can reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers that are often associated with greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. Healthier soils also improve water retention, support sustainable agricultural production, and increase resilience to climate-related stresses such as drought. The project is currently at the minimum viable product stage, and is led by UniversitéEvangélique en Afrique in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with partners including Hope Africa University in Burundi, University of Nairobi in Kenya, and ITRACOM/ FOMI-Private fertilizer company in Burundi.
Converting wastewater into valuable resources
A BioInnovate Africa supported project on new integrated methods for industrial wastewater treatment is addressing the dual challenges of waste management and resource recovery while contributing to climate action. Unmanaged wastewater and organic waste are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimating that the waste sector accounts for about 20% of human-caused methane emissions. The wastewater treatment technology enables communities and industries to meet effluent standards while recovering valuable nutrients, generating biogas, and producing biofertilizers, thereby transforming waste into useful resources within a circular bioeconomy approach. UNEP notes that wastewater recovery systems could offset more than 10% of global fertilizer demand while supporting energy and water reuse. Building on these results, the technology is now being commercialised by ENVSOL Technology Company Limited in Tanzania, and provides services including integrated engineering solutions in wastewater treatment, waste management, water purification, and biogas system design in East Africa.
