A partnership agreement was signed on March 29, 2023 between Ecopost, a Kenyan company specialized in plastic waste recycling, and Borealis. The Austrian supplier of polyolefin recycling solutions will support Ecopost's activities, notably through the financing of business creation kits.
Ecopost wants to strengthen its activities in Kenya. This is what justifies the partnership between this Kenyan company, specialized in plastic waste recycling, and Borealis. Within the framework of this alliance, the chemical company, specialized in the production of fertilizers, polyethylene and polypropylene, based in Vienna, Austria, commits to support Ecopost in the promotion of the circular economy of plastics in Kenya.
Specifically, Borealis will provide capacity building and training for plastic waste collectors, as well as formalize their work by funding business start-up kits for youth and women’s groups in remote areas of Kenya.
Reducing plastic pollution
In addition to collection, these groups sort, shred and also prepare the waste to produce plastic pellets and lumber. Ecopost recovers this recyclable plastic waste for use in fencing, signage, etc. “This is to divert plastic waste from open burning, dumping in waterways, sewage and landfill in Kenya,” Ecopost says. Currently, the East African country generates an average of 480 tons of plastic waste per day, according to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
The alliance between Borealis and Ecopost will contribute to the development of the circular economy of plastic waste. The Kenyan government’s target is to make 100% of plastic packaging produced in Kenya reusable by 2030, in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12). Set in 2015, this SDG aims to significantly reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse by 2030.
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To put an end to plastic pollution, Kenyan authorities are also banking on funding for innovation and dialogue with industries, particularly through its new action plan launched in September 2022. The strategy was approved and published by the stakeholders of the Kenya Plastics Pact (KPP). The initiative brings together several stakeholders in the waste value chain such as the Kenya PET Recycling Company (PETCO), the Nairobi Waste Collectors Association as well as the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO).
Inès Magoum
