Packaging solutions provider Dow announces the expansion of its partnership with Mr. Green Africa, a Kenyan company specialising in plastic waste recycling. The aim of the partnership is to develop the circular economy around plastics in Kenya.
According to Dow, the strengthening of its partnership with Mr. Green Africa is proof of the success of the collaboration between the two companies, which began in November 2019. The packaging solutions provider wants to focus the partnership with Mr. Green Africa on using technology to enable residential collection of plastic waste. This is an application developed by Dow and deployed in Kenya by Mr. Green Africa.
This digital solution allows users to sort and separate plastic waste at home. They then call on Mr. Green Africa for collection. The Nairobi-based company processes its plastic waste before transforming it into reusable products. It is expected to accelerate the roll-out of the application in Nairobi in 2021, after a trial phase in several households in the Kenyan capital.
A windfall for Mr. Green Africa
Dow believes that the collaboration with Mr. Green Africa has already yielded encouraging results in Kenya, where there is very little plastic waste management infrastructure. As a result, plastics end up in the environment, especially in rivers. The collection of waste enables the clean-up of the environment while providing a source of income for the collectors who exchange their plastic waste for money.
According to Dow, its partnership with Mr. Green Africa enables the collection and recovery of at least 30 tonnes of plastic waste every two months in Kenya. The company sees the partnership as part of its “Stop the waste” initiative. It aims to collect, reuse or recycle one million tonnes of plastic worldwide by 2030. The Mr. Green Africa company that benefits from this programme also comes out stronger.
To date, the company has at least 25 collection points where individuals can exchange plastic waste for payment. It also receives support from DOB Equity. A few months ago, this financial company dedicated to East African countries invested in Mr. Green Africa to “meet the growing demand for recyclable products from Kenyan and multinational companies”.
Jean Marie Takouleu
