Kenya's Plastics Industry On Course For Sustainable Success

Posted on : Friday , 13th March 2020

Since the beginning of the year, a new INTAREMA 1108 TVEplus RegrindPro with laser filter has been processing industrial and household waste plastic to produce recyclate at the company's plant in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Mr. Green Africa combines social responsibility with technology and cost effectiveness.  

 

As of February, the young entrepreneurs have expanded their business model and no longer sell only washed flakes, but now recycle directly on-site.  

 

The Institute for Polymer Materials and Testing at the Johannes Kepler University Linz carried out material analysis in advance to specify the recycling technology needed to achieve high-quality recyclate despite the level of contamination.  

 

Mr. Green Africa has succeeded in establishing a collection and sorting system for plastics from industrial and household waste in the greater Nairobi area.  

 

Mr. Green Africa CEO Keiran Smith said: "When choosing the recycling technology, the decisive factor for us was that HDPE and PP material can be processed on the same line. With HDPE we collect all types of packaging, including canisters and bottles, which are often contaminated with paper labels and printing inks. Despite different input materials and their varying quality, we have to meet the demands of our customers and deliver a consistent quality of recyclate output."

 

The company is interested in upgrading the waste collection system to provide the many ‘waste pickers’ with fair and stable pay.

 

EREMA Group CEO Manfred Hackl said: "Keiran Smith and Karim Debabe captivated me with their business idea from the very first second. As far as I know, setting up a company with such an effective social impact is unique in the plastics recycling sector and could serve as a model for other regions."

 

Today, Mr. Green Africa is an important employer in the region with over 100 permanent employees and almost 2,000 ‘waste pickers’.