By Hauwa Ali
Dow, a U.S. packaging solutions provider and chemical company, as part of MrGreen Africa project,is set collect and recycle 30,000 tons of plastic waste in the capital Nairobi.
The initiative funded by Dow’s Business Impact Fund is part of its “Stop the Waste” program, which aims to collect, reuse and recycle one million metric tons of plastic worldwide by 2030.
According to the company, The plastic waste will includes bottles, cans and plasticbags which consumers will sort before it will go for recycling.
Related Posts
“Through a mobile app, consumers can sort and separate plastic waste at home, before scheduling its collection by Mr. Green Africa, which will then process it,” Dow says.
Ultimately, Dow’s project in Kenya will establish sorting centers in counties that will allow reclaimers to bring in plastic waste for a fee, prior to recovery at dedicated facilities.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), supermarkets in Kenya distributed up to 100 million plastic bags in 2019 alone, just two years after the East African country banned the use, manufacture and import of plastic bags. For Frederick Njehu, the head of Greenpeace in Nairobi, “the remaining 76% of unrecycled waste is a threat to marine life, rivers and soils.”
The initiative will contribute to the development of the circular economy in this country, which recycles only 2,400 tons of plastic per month, according to the Kenyan authorities.
