PETCO Kenya and World-Wide Fund Kenya (WWF) have signed a partnership agreement worth Ksh 6,000,000 Million Kenya Shillings to boost environmental protection through an enhanced waste collection in the coastal region.
The memorandum will provide technology transfer from Denmark through a partnership with Plastix, a Danish cleantech recycling company. This will be implemented by partnering with local organizations that are pioneers in the waste management sector.
Additionally, the partnership will provide a range of benefits that include a donation of collection infrastructure support and training worth Ksh 6,000,000 to over 800 waste reclaimers, which will go a long way in dignifying and enhancing the waste collection and creating a safe working environment in the sector.
“Our focus is to rid-off plastic waste in the Coastal region, create a safe working space, and support the efforts by WWF in cleaning up the city, beaches, and rivers. This initiative is vital as it complements our focus to support and economically empower local collectors and aggregators in plastic waste management,” Said PETCO Kenya Country Manager, Joyce Gachugi.
The partnership strives to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by improving livelihoods for women, men, and especially youth, by formalizing, improving logistics and skills around the business venture on collecting, sorting, and processing plastic waste in Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu counties along the coast of Kenya.
This will increase the volumes of plastic collected, sorted, and processed by strengthening the capacity of plastic recycling companies to sort and process more tons of plastic waste to high-quality granulate and increase the capacity of this business to attract more investment as a long-term business model in the Coastal region.
PETCO has taken up the mantle to ensure that recyclers within communities get the required training, waste collection gear, and are equipped with entrepreneurial skills to upscale their waste collection ventures to profitability.
With the WWF partnership, the waste to value program is tapping into the plastic recycling market in Kenya as an innovative engagement with three other pioneering private-sector recycling agents. They include Plastix, Jil plastics, and Kwale Plastic Plus Collectors (KPPC) who came together to combat the challenges of plastic pollution and generate economic growth within the Coastal region. These groups have been united to form a partnership that will revolutionize plastic waste collection in a region plagued by plastic waste challenges.
Besides ensuring that the environment is rid-off plastic, this joint effort will ensure that these local organizations get economic value from their work.
“As a measure to promote circular plastic economy, the partnership between Petco Kenya, WWF Kenya, and the local community organizations will work towards establishing an international plastic recycling value chain built on sustainable practices by connecting collectors, sorters, and processors to high-end and innovative plastic recycling expertise and technology,” Nancy Githaiga, Head of Conservation Programs, WWF Kenya
Through engaging with the local community, the partnership will entrench a culture of responsible business conduct and sustainable practices, supported by the local community and authorities among entrepreneurs.
