• Kenya produces about 500,000 tonnes of plastic a year, but only 15 per cent is recycled.
• Cumulatively, the world had produced 7.8 billion metric tonnes of plastics by 2015.
World Wide Fund for Nature Kenya and three pioneering private-sector recycling agents have entered into a partnership to recycle plastic waste. https://bit.ly/3t4ZTGg
World Wide Fund for Nature Kenya and three pioneering private-sector recycling agents have entered into a partnership to recycle plastic waste.
The partnership has been entered between Plastix, Jil industries and Mr Green Africa Limited.
Petco Kenya has also been involved to combat plastic pollution and facilitate economic growth following the signing of an MoU in December last year.
WWF Kenya CEO Mohamed Awer said the aim of the partnership is to accelerate the transformation of plastic waste—otherwise discarded into the natural environment—into a valuable commodity and promote a circular plastic economy.
"Mr Green Africa complements WWF-Kenya by bringing in the much-needed knowledge, networks, and expertise in the plastic recycling value chain in coastal Kenya where we have worked for more than 20 years," Awer said.
Awer said the efforts will go a long way in not only improving the livelihoods of workers in the plastic recycling sector but also have a net impact on the reduction of litter that ends up in the ocean and chokes marine biodiversity.
Kenya produces about 500,000 tonnes of plastic a year, but only 15 per cent is recycled. Globally, plastics production increased from two million tonnes in 1950 to 381 million tonnes in 2015.
Cumulatively, the world had produced 7.8 billion tonnes of plastics by 2015.
Mr Green Africa incentivises marginalised waste pickers and base of the pyramid stakeholders by offering premium prices and added benefits, to provide a continuous supply of valuable recyclables. This, in turn, creates pathways out of poverty for them, while simultaneously creating a positive environmental impact.
The company then processes the recyclable material into valuable raw material and feeds it back into plastic manufacturers’ supply chain to enable them to achieve their circular economy goals, and benefit from raw material cost savings.
Mr Green said it has 2,500 waste collectors having provided 110 direct jobs and recycled 4,500 tonnes of plastic waste. It has a recycling firm in Mombasa Road, Nairobi.
The market development partnership dubbed the ‘DMDP Waste to Value Project,’ directly supported by the Danish Development Agency, Danida, seeks to entrench a culture of responsible business conduct and sustainable practices, supported by the local community and authorities among entrepreneurs.
Mr Green Africa CEO Keiran Smith said: “We are pleased to partner with an organisation whose core values align with our own and who are determined to reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment.
"Our aim is to continually increase efficiency in collecting plastic recyclables from consumers before they end up in waterways, streets, informal dumps, or landfills, and convert these recyclables into high-quality raw materials for plastic manufacturers.”
As the project develops and expands, the goal is to include more partners along the value chain and contribute towards the creation of at least 800 decent jobs within its lifetime.
The partnership seeks to improve the local plastic recycling value chain in Mombasa county. The joint efforts aim to build on sustainable practices by connecting collectors, sorters, and processors to high-end and innovative plastic recycling markets, expertise and technology.
The partnership also strives to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by improving livelihoods for young women and men, improving logistics and skills around the business case on collecting, sorting and processing waste in coastal Kenya.
Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu counties are some of the towns targeted.