Assessment of the Current Status of the Circular Economy(Kenya)

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Assessment of the Current Status of the Circular Economy of Large Household Appliances Waste in Kenya

Kenya has experienced a significant rise in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) consumption, resulting in a large portion of EEEs becoming waste due to the absence of proper end-of-life processing infrastructure. To tackle this issue, Sustainable Inclusive Business (SIB-K), supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), has developed an action plan for a future-proof e-waste management system focusing on large household appliances. The research was methodically conducted using a cross-sectional design, and a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches involved comprehensive data collection through desk reviews, key informant interviews, and questionnaires sent to local governments, government agencies, e-waste management companies, business organizations, and societies.

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Project Objectives

The study’s primary goal was to develop an action plan to significantly enhance the circularity of large household appliances (LHHA) in Kenya, a crucial step towards sustainable e-waste management.

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Target Groups & Impact

Target Group(s): The target groups are Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) producers, dealers, users and households, and government agencies.

Impact: 

  • Conducted a successful study to assess the “Current Status of the Circular Economy of Large Household Appliances Waste in Kenya” using a cross-sectional design and a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study involved comprehensive data collection through desk reviews, key informant interviews, and questionnaires sent to local governments, government agencies, e-waste management companies, business organizations, and societies.
  • Developed an action plan for a future-proof e-waste management system focusing on large household appliances.
  • Conducted policy analysis and provided insights into E-Waste Generation and Processing, identifying policy gaps and opportunities.
  • Designed a conceptualized pilot project using a four-phase approach to address the identified system gaps. Each phase comprises different activities that target distinct stakeholders and elements of the overall value retention system.

Developed a roadmap visualization of the prioritized waste stream and potential for circularity. Kenya has adopted a circular economy concept as its preferred approach to stimulate ‘value retention processes,’ among which is decent e-waste management. While an explicit framework has not been specified for LHHA waste, the management of used LHHA (including ‘waste’) is assumed to fall under the general e-waste circular economy framework.

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