Nairobi County Embarks on Ambitious Journey to Transform Waste into Wealth Through Circular Economy
Nairobi City County has launched a comprehensive strategy to transition from a linear waste management model to a circular economy, aiming to transform the city’s substantial waste streams into economic opportunities while addressing environmental challenges. The initiative, spearheaded by Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration, focuses on creating value from waste through recycling, upcycling, and innovative resource recovery systems. This paradigm shift positions waste not as a problem to be disposed of, but as a valuable resource that can generate employment, create business opportunities, and reduce environmental pollution across the capital.
The circular economy model encompasses multiple approaches, including the establishment of material recovery facilities in each of Nairobi’s 17 sub-counties, where waste will be sorted and channeled to appropriate recycling industries. The county is also partnering with private sector innovators to develop solutions for converting organic waste into compost and bioenergy, plastic waste into construction materials, and electronic waste into valuable components. We are changing the narrative around waste in Nairobi. Instead of seeing garbage, we’re seeing potential – potential for job creation, for new businesses, and for a cleaner, more sustainable city, stated Nairobi County Executive for Environment, Dr. Pauline Kahiga, during the launch of the initiative at Dandora dumpsite.
The initiative has already begun yielding positive results, with several community-based organizations and youth groups engaged in waste collection and sorting activities. At the City Park Material Recovery Facility, one of the pilot sites, over 200 youth are employed in sorting various types of recyclables, which are then sold to manufacturing companies as raw materials. What was previously considered garbage is now putting food on our tables. I’m able to earn a decent living from collecting and sorting plastic bottles, which are then recycled into polyester fiber, explained John Kamau, a member of the Kariobangi Waste Collectors Association.
The long-term vision for Nairobi’s circular economy transition includes developing specialized industrial zones dedicated to waste-based industries, creating green jobs, and significantly reducing the amount of waste destined for landfills. The county government is working with financial institutions to develop favorable financing products for circular economy entrepreneurs and is reviewing procurement policies to prioritize products made from recycled materials. Our goal is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where waste generated in Nairobi is valorized within the city, creating economic value while addressing our environmental challenges. This is the future of sustainable urban development, Governor Sakaja affirmed. With proper implementation, Nairobi’s circular economy journey could serve as a model for other African cities grappling with similar waste management and unemployment challenges.