Sustainability of Social Enterprises Involved in Waste Collection and Recycling Activities: LESSONS from Tanzania
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Date
2019-11-27
Authors
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Publisher
Taylor& Fransis
Abstract
This article investigates how social enterprises providing waste
collection and recycling services overcame start-up challenges
and sustain their operations. Based on analysis of five cases in
Tanzania, it is evident that waste collection and recycling enterprises start as entrepreneurial entities driven by the opportunity
to fill the service delivery gap left by the state. Although the
enterprises studied have had a social impact, they have experienced several challenges, including limited access to resources,
negative perception of their activities, competition, unsupportive
policies, unreliable supply of raw materials, dishonesty of staff
and/or waste pickers and poor working conditions. However, the
enterprises sustained themselves through good management,
engaging the right teams, supporting waste pickers, marketing
and networking, developing their skills, using appropriate technology, reinvesting their earnings, diversifying and being members
of cooperatives. The article contributes to knowledge by combining the traditional entrepreneurship and socio-environmental
entrepreneurship perspectives to explore the sustainability of
waste collection and recycling enterprises
Description
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Keywords
Entrepreneurship; social enterprise; waste collection; recycling; sustainability