M-taka app seeking to bridge recycling gap launched in Kisumu

M-taka application, a pioneering tech-integrated waste management social enterprise, has been launched with the goal of bridging the gap to recycling.

The M-taka App offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features that empower individuals and communities to take charge of their waste management practices.

The Mobile App was officiated by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Kisumu county government during the World's Environment Day celebrations in Kisumu.

According to M-taka  Managing Director Benson Abila due, to the menace of pollution and seeing how a lot of waste is not being handled the right way, they decided to innovate a technology that can teach people how to manage their waste economically and even allow them to make money from that waste.

Abila said the M-taka App is the first innovation in Kisumu and the Western Region with a vision of building sustainable zero-waste circular economy communities.

He said through the app, users can access valuable educational resources, learn about sustainable waste management practices, and connect with a network of stakeholders in the waste value chain.

He noted that the app also provides a platform for waste actors, including waste pickers and scrap shop owners, to register, access market information, and efficiently connect with end-of-chain recyclers.

The App can be downloaded on Playstore, then one signs up and will be able to request an agent.

"We are encouraging everyone to sign up if they are waste actors in an area. They sign up as agents so that when people request them, they are easily found. We are basically also connecting the agents and the people."

But M-taka's impact goes beyond the app.

"As a holistic waste management solution, M-taka also focuses on improving the livelihoods of waste actors through case management, providing essential services like healthcare, education, and business training."

Abila added that by aggregating and adding value to post-consumer plastics and other recyclables, M-taka creates marketable materials that contribute to a circular economy, reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices.

He said the launch of the M-taka App marks a significant milestone in the journey towards beating plastic pollution.

By leveraging technology, community engagement, and value addition, M-taka Abila said was revolutionizing waste management and paving the way for sustainable, zero-waste communities.

There is a lack of understanding of waste management problems and recycling strategies, and limited incentives to motivate individual action.

Globally, the vast majority of solid waste is not recycled, with only 19% of the 2 billion tonnes generated annually being recycled.

Africa recycles only 4% of its total waste and plastic recycling rates are particularly low.

In Kenya, only 27% of plastic waste is collected, with a mere 8% of that being recycled, and the rest disposed of in unsanitary landfills.

Abila further added that their main aim is also to collect data to influence and strengthen policy formulation, and decision-making.

"We want to collect data so that we can influence policy to ensure that people can take action against pollution and if we see an increasing recycling culture from 8 per cent to maybe even 15 per cent or 30 per cent then that is our pride."

The NEMA Regional Director Stella Kamwasir, said there is a possibility to ensure that there is a green plastic economy by improving on circularity.

She thanked the organization for the innovation they have taken saying it is a connectivity to the producers of waste up to the ones that are being recycled.