NAIROBI, KENYA- Kenya has launched the Plastic Circular Investment Initiative, a landmark effort aimed at tackling plastic pollution while transforming waste into economic opportunities.
The initiative seeks to mobilize large-scale financing, strengthen recycling systems, and accelerate Kenya’s transition to a circular economy.
Plastic pollution remains a pressing challenge globally, with over 400 million tonnes of plastic produced annually, much of it uncollected and unrecycled.
In Kenya, nearly one million tonnes of plastic waste are generated each year, but only about 27pc is collected and a mere 8pc recycled, leaving vast amounts to contaminate land, rivers, and ecosystems.
At the launch, Principal Secretary Dr. Eng. Festus Ngeno of the State Department for Environment and Climate Change emphasized that policy alone cannot solve the problem.
Turning the Tide on Plastic Pollution: Kenya Launches Bold Circular Investment Initiative Plastic pollution remains one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time, with more than 400 million tonnes of plastic waste produced globally each year and far too little of it
While Kenya has introduced strong frameworks such as the Sustainable Waste Management Act (2022) and Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations (2024), effective action requires financing, reliable data, and coordinated public-private efforts.
Dr. Ngeno highlighted Kenya’s growing international role in tackling plastic pollution, referencing progress at the United Nations Environment Assembly and ongoing negotiations under the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee.
He stressed the next phase must focus on capital mobilization, stronger pricing systems, and digital traceability to make recycling systems efficient and investable.
Adding a global perspective, Kang Hyung-Shik, South Korea’s Ambassador to Kenya, described the initiative as a practical bridge between policy ambition and investment opportunities.
He noted that addressing plastic pollution can stimulate green growth, innovation, and job creation, particularly for youth and women.
The initiative also brings together government officials, private sector leaders, Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), academia, civil society, and international partners, including Nagnouma Kone of the Global Green Growth Institute Kenya, Dr Kinyanjui Koimbori of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, and Dr Selly Kimosop, Environment Secretary.
