Lusaka and Dayton formed a partnership focusing on solid waste management. The Lusaka city council had attracted severe criticism from the public due to poor performance in this area. Most areas received no solid waste removal at all, and private contractors were offering a service to the wealthier parts of town. Lusaka had no sanitary landfill facility; the existing dump was a temporary site that represented a potential health hazard and threatened to become a serious source of ground pollution. 

Dayton, with its innovative practices in waste management, was able to share several approaches to addressing Lusaka’s waste management problem. The officials from the two cities set out to develop a capacity-building program, through short-term and on-the-job training; to encourage private-sector participation in solid waste management and develop criteria for such involvement; and to develop a community involvement program for waste collection and management. 

During an exchange visit, Dayton officials held a solid waste management seminar in Lusaka for participants, who included representatives of the private sector, community groups, and NGOs as well as local and national government officials. The stakeholders debated the future direction of solid waste management in Lusaka and established a working committee for immediate follow-up. As a result of the seminar, Lusaka officials and community stakeholders initiated a pilot community-based system for solid waste removal, which attracted media attention. Following on this success, the partners subsequently focused on additional community-based initiatives as well as privatization options for solid waste management.