Waste-to-Value – tapping the market for recycle plastic in Kenya

The challenges related to plastic waste are expected to grow exponentially as population increases, exacerbating environmental pollution and climate change. The Waste-to-Value project contributes to abatement of  this challenge whilst improving livelihoods for men, women and youth in Kenya`s coastal county of Mombasa. Leveraging on the strong commercial plastic value chain in Kenya, the project is committed to improving income opportunities in plastic collection and creation of decent jobs in the sorting and recycling process that contribute to the targets of sustainable development goal 8: Decent jobs and economic growth. The project`s commercial objective is  turning plastic waste, otherwise discarded in the natural environment, into a valuable commodity while contributing to the development of an effective value chain for recycled plastic, connecting collectors, sorters and processors to appropriate and high-end innovative plastic recycling expertise, technology and facilitating access to markets on the Kenyan coast.

Since the project’s inception in January 2020, 717 waste managers (46% female, 54% male) have been trained on  plastic waste management. By the end of 2023, 502 (70%) of waste managers were active in collection. Through a partnership with Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KeMFRI) the project has developed a data collection and monitoring system for waste management, the Taka Connect App, linking collectors to recyclers. This app tracks waste types, quantities, locations, pricing, and recycler preferences. During the most recent monitoring exercise, waste collectors recorded an average of 15 kg per day, averaging 7,576.5 tons  of plastics sold to the sorting stations and recyclers in 2023.

The project supported the formation of Pwani Circular Economy Association (PCEA), a waste picker led organization supporting members to trade in plastics, access to credit and advocate for inclusive waste management policies in the six counties of the coastal region. In 2023, the association had 842 members, (50% women, 24% male youth, 7% people with disabilities, and 19% men. The PCEA has facilitated the establishment and contribution towards strengthening six cooperatives. Four are located in Mombasa and two in Kilifi. Looking ahead, the PCEA envisions the formation of a savings and credit cooperative (SACCO) to exclusively cater for waste managers by the end of 2024, marking a significant milestone towards financial inclusion for those in the sector.

Commercial partners such as Mr. Green Africa expanded their operations in Mombasa, operating 7 buyback centres and continuing to offer competitive fair pricing. In addition, Mr. Green started purchasing PET bottles in March 2023 that had proven to be a challenge due to the lack of a stable market. Jil Industries and Packaging Producer Responsibility Organization (PAKPRO); the other commercial partners continue to grow in both their production output and membership respectively. Fuelled by the mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR) enforcement in Kenya, the commercial partners alongside the waste managers are set to enhance their operations and earn more out of the windfall from the EPR fees.

In partnership with ELEWA, an innovative start up in Kenya, the project developed a whatsapp conversational learning platform that simply requires a learner to save a number (+254791855764) and start learning through a chatbot on whatsapp. As at December 2023, 91 users were engaging on the platform with the number expected to grow as the project popularised the platform. The Responsible Business Conduct guidelines module is one of the popular topics that has since been rolled out to waste managers in neighbouring counties of Kwale and Kilifi.