Tetrapak East Africa in partnership with the Packaging Producer Responsibility OrganiSation (PAKPRO) has launched a kick-start project to recover used beverage cartons in the country.
The partnership brings together two recyclers of liquid board packaging -Ramani Warehouse Limited (Thika) and Ekotech Limited (Nairobi), where collectors and aggregators can sell recovered used beverage cartons.
The project targets to recover 1,500 metric tonnes of used beverage cartons, which accounts for 30 per cent of the produced liquid board packaging in the country.
The kick-start project seeks to create value for post-consumer liquid board packaging, that will increase the economic opportunities for collectors and aggregators in the waste recovery sector.
Following the gazettement of the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 and operationalisation of Section 13 of the Act, the project kicks off implementation of EPR for liquid board packaging in the country.
The new regulation directs all producers to implement mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations to prevent pollution from their post-consumer products or by waste arising therefrom.
Speaking at the contract signing ceremony with the two recycling partners,Tetra Pak East Africa managing director Jonathan Kinisu said in alignment with EPR regulations and the Waste Management Act, they are are taking a lead role in supporting the collection and recycling value chain.
"We are working closely with our recyclers and together with PAKPRO to create consumer awareness and increase the recycling volume, " Kinisu said.
The project will be executed in partnership with PAKPRO, which is a producer responsibility organisation that supports recycling value chains in Kenya.
PAKPRO chief executive Joyce Gachugi-Waweru said: "As Kenya ushers Mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility on November 1, 2023, this kick start project will serve as a catalyst to the recovery of post-consumer liquid board packaging (LBP)."
She noted that Tetrapak has been committed to ensuring that post-consumer liquid board packaging is not only recovered and recycled, but that the livelihoods supported by the recovery are getting their fair price.
"We look forward to strengthening the post-consumer consumer value chain to ensure optimal recovery of LBP in the country," Gachugi-Waweru said.
This initiative will kick start in Nairobi, Kajiado, Nakuru, and Kiambu counties, and it will involve providing capacity building to collectors and aggregators, registration of participating value chain players and deployment of collection infrastructure in strategic locations.
Tetra Pak and PAKPRO will also collaborate to improve awareness by increasing educational activities among the Kenyan public on issues related to segregation and collection.
As well as, actively engaging all stakeholders, including the government, PROs, collectors, and recyclers to ensure that the circularity of UBCs is achieved.
