Focus Areas

Introduction of the workshop topic (Plastic) Waste Management and Business responsibility and opportunities.

Divided in different Groups we all have a role to play. Whether you are a producer, a user, a recycler, distributor or a collector. Key players in the (Plastic) Waste management ecosystem share the impacts and programs in place, and invite businesses to join. How do businesses go about plastic in the Retail Industry? Where do you leave your E-Waste? Is Farm waste not of Value? Is there a business that collects my waste and recycles it? Can we form groups that start with take back action? Per value chain, small groups that lead the change and front run.

Waste is a big topic and first steps towards solution often are more manageable if we break the issue down into groups to define actions, and form partnerships.

• Hospitality – quick sketch by Serena Hotels
• E-Waste – quick sketch by WEEE
• PET/Plastic – quick sketch by CGK
• Packaging – quick sketch by TakaTaka Solutions

Since the plastic bag ban in Kenya – businesses have been proactively discussing Plastic Waste Management issues and how to implement efficient, long term solutions. It is clear that the Private Sector needs to design the solutions in order to be able to responsibly use plastic.

The PETCO model from South Africa has been explored and the possible ways to adopt this model in Kenya. KAM has taken the lead on creating a spate Sub-Sector PET to make sure the industry gets ready to take back, recycle, re-use PET.

Partnerships have been formed for instance:

• Between Mr. Green and Unilever in order to take back the amount of plastic
  that is being ‘put’ into society by Unilever products packaging.
• Takataka and Bio to take back Bio milk bottles at Chandarana’s in Nairobi to be recycled by TakaTaka Solutions.
• SafariLounge coffee & tea has only fully biodegradable packaging.
• Serena Hotels are bottling water on the spot in Mara Lodge and providing
  guests with only glass bottles with their logo and filtered water.
• At places like Vida e Caffe where they fill your refillable coffee cup with coffee instead of using take away single use materials.
• Tin Roof café has only completely biodegrable take away materials and you pay a few bop more, if you don’t want that, they will fill your home containers. No problem.
• Nomads at Diani beach has replaced straws by paper straws, not a single
  customer complains – better said consumers who are aware say – hey nice! They care for me and for the environment.
• WEEE center recycling E-Waste.

Business solutions have also been developed, from PET recycle plants to straw alternatives and plastic bag alternatives.

To give a ‘face’ to the disaster we are facing Flippiflopi has started a campaign building a boat out of plastics found in the ocean and at the coastline of Lamu, Kenya.

Roundtable with keyplayers took place in collaboration with MVO the Netherlands, The Embassy of The Netherlands and SIBKenya.

SIBKenya will compose an overview of good practice, alternatives, smart businesses that we like to circulate as a add-on-progress document to include and update online all the time.

NEEDS formulated:

• There is need to support the establishment of extended producer responsibility schemes (organisations) that can provide the link between industry and recyclers.
• Need for sensitizing consumers / citizens on littering, impact of garbage in
  nature and impact on health. Give them the information to empower and to make responsible decisions but also demand for responsible produced and packed products.
• Participants were surprised by input that the non-woven alternative bags now popularly sold to Kenyans are made of plastic that is non-recyclable and non- bio degradable and many stakeholders are unaware of this.
• There is a need to ‘access’ information and examples of how to sustainably manage waste, how to reduce, replace, recycle, reuse and change materials. Sustainable suppliers, good practices, marketing-communication it’s all somehow new and therefor need for.
• There is need for long-term sustainable solutions and the government should play its role in guiding long-term policies and regulations.
• The county government should be capacitated and supported on its legal mandate to manage waste in the environment.
• There is a need for International Expertise and support. To boost capacity among implementers and to build successful ‘solutions & business cases’. Proof of concept. MVO the Netherlands & KEPSA & SIBKenya are exploring the options.

Who will take the lead in pushing for the needs?

And how? KEPSA is giving the Private Sector the option to suggest and advice on new laws and regulations, they will pass these inputs on to the government.

We need collaborations and actions. SIBkenya can be a convening and facilitating partner as well as offering the needed knowledge, potential partner linkage and creative concepts to incorporate new ways of working into your business DNA.

SIBKenya’s stand on Plastic is simple – If we like to benefit from the positive aspects of plastic, we should make sure there are no negative implications of plastic. Responsible for the full impact!