Kenyans, especially in urban areas and along the coastline, are grappling with how to cope with huge volumes of plastic waste along the streets or in their neighbourhoods.

Currently, the country generates an estimated 966,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, which according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is expected to rise to 5 million by 2030.

In 2021, Kenya imported approximately 575,290 tonnes of raw plastic materials, valued at around Ksh98.2 billion.

While the government has taken steps to address the problem, such as banning single-use plastic bags in 2017 and extending the ban to protected areas in 2020, plastic pollution remains a major concern.

Last year, the government introduced regulations specifically targeting plastic packaging materials, including a ban on the importation and use of certain types of plastic bags to address plastic pollution and promote sustainable waste management.

According to the Environmental Management and Coordination (Management and Control of Plastic Packaging Materials) Regulations, 2024 imported plastic packaging materials are required to be declared at the port of entry.

The regulations further introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system to place responsibility on producers for waste management where local manufacturers and importers are mandated to establish post-consumer collection schemes, join compliance schemes and design products that facilitate reuse, recycling, and recovery.

The manufacturers are also mandated to shoulder the responsibility for the financial, organisational and physical management of post-consumer products and end-of-life waste. Kenya currently recycles only 8 per cent – 10 per cent of its plastic waste, making plastic pollution a pressing concern, according to a report by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in 2023.

As the country prepares for the World Environment Day on June 5, which is themed ‘Global Call to End Plastic Pollution,’ in Garissa, Fred Olingo, the founder of Taka ni Mali is focusing on recycling of plastic waste.

In his recycling plant in Garissa town, women – young and old and some young men – carry empty sacks on their shoulders, evidence that they have just sold their assorted plastic materials.

Sixty-five-year-old Kasembi Paul has just sold a batch of her day’s collection. She says she started collecting and selling plastic water bottles in 2018, and she has been able to afford her daily needs and pay school fees for her children.

Kasembi says that on a good day, she earns up to Ksh2000 while on bad days, she makes KsSh900.

“I have a daughter who has just completed form-four and she is now in college. All that fee comes from here,” she said.

“The challenge is that sometimes we walk long distances because there are many of us collecting these bottles and we have depleted these plastic wastes in areas closer to town. This job has provided an opportunity for many young people as they can earn something instead of getting into crime,” she added.

Olingo says he founded his company in 2016 Nakuru, but it did not pick up there because of low availability of plastic bottles.

“I started this job in Nakuru County but there was little we could do because there are not as many plastics as here in Garissa. Nakuru is sometimes cold and not many people use bottled water. A friend of mine then referred me to Garissa because with water challenges, there is high consumption of bottled water and that’s where we come in,” Olingo explains.

“When I came here in 2016, plastic water bottles were everywhere, even in the drainage lines. The county council was struggling with how to deal with them because the bottles were the main waste. In just one week, I managed to get over 10 tonnes of plastic water bottles and that is how I decided to remain here,” he adds.

Olingo employ 20s casual workers on busy days although the number is slightly reduced on days with low activity.

Close to 50 people, who move around the town, hotels and sometimes attend public forums to collect empty water bottles also get their daily bread here.

Once someone brings plastic waste for sale, it is sorted according to the type of plastic and weighed to determine the amount. The plastic materials are then further sorted according to colour, stickers on the materials are removed and then it is crushed into small pieces ready to be transported for sale to other processing companies.

According to Olingo, a kilogramme of water plastic bottles is priced at Sh25 although sometimes; he says that the amount is raised to boost the morale of the collectors. The Taka ni Mali founder says that over time, other people have joined the business and now there is stiff competition in the sector.

“Apart from competition, we have a challenge in getting county permits. Sometimes a license costs Ksh30,000 for operations and then they still charge you cess when transporting the materials. We hope that this issue can be sorted out,” he said.

Isaac Kimitei, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) director for Garissa County said that with collaboration with other stakeholders, they have been able to reduce plastic waste in the county.

“Taka ni Mali is an important stakeholder in ensuring that we keep our environment clean. This start-up, apart from being able to employ many young people in this waste management value-chain, has also helped us to eliminate plastics in the streets,” Kimitei said.

“So far in Garissa, plastics have been removed from the streets. The only problem we have now is single-use plastic bags which are coming in through our porous borders from our neighbouring countries,” he added.

Dekow Khalif from the Garissa County Directorate of Environment said that they had developed a bylaw to ensure proper disposal of waste across the county.

“We are mandated to ensure proper environmental conservation. In regard to this, we have developed the Garissa County environmental management and coordination act, which helps us streamline the sector including proper waste disposal,” Khalif said.

“We are also creating awareness to our people so that they stop the tendency of littering plastics anyhow. We are seeking to change the behaviour of the residents here on how they dispose of their waste,” he added.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Erick Kyalo