As the world grapples with plastic waste, Kenya’s innovative circular economy model—centered on a blockchain-tracked plastic credit system—is gaining global traction, with Unilever, Nestlé, and IKEA now sourcing verified credits from East African recyclers.
Kenya banned plastic bags in 2017, but its real breakthrough came in 2023 with the Plastic Waste Credit Scheme, developed by the Nairobi-based startup WEEE Centre in partnership with the UN Environment Programme.
Here’s how it works:
- Informal waste pickers collect plastic from urban and coastal areas.
- Each kilogram is logged via mobile app and verified on blockchain.
- Companies buy “credits” to offset their plastic footprint—each credit funds fair wages and recycling.
In 2024, the system recovered 28,000 tons of plastic—equivalent to 1.4 billion bottles. Over 12,000 waste workers, 68% of them women, now earn formal income.
Global brands are integrating these credits into ESG reporting. Unilever’s 2025 sustainability report cites Kenya as a “model for scalable circularity in emerging markets.”
The model is spreading: Ghana and Indonesia launched similar programs in 2025, adapted to local waste streams. The World Bank has pledged $200 million to scale the approach across Africa.
Unlike carbon credits, plastic credits offer immediate, visible impact—cleaner streets, safer oceans, dignified jobs. “This isn’t charity,” says WEEE Centre CEO Jane Muthoni. “It’s market-driven environmental justice.”
Kenya’s success shows that circular economies thrive when informal sectors are formalized, not replaced.
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