Kenya is taking the first step within Africa in bolstering the lives of unsung heroes in the fight against plastic pollution.
The Star reported on a new project from the Responsible Sourcing Initiative that will work to help informal waste workers who isolate plastic from landfills and households. The nonprofit organization The Circulate Initiative is funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Ikea Foundation.
"Our launch in Africa is a significant milestone," Annerieke Douma, senior director of programs at The Circulate Initiative, told The Star. Douma asserted that the workers are at the "front lines of the fight against plastic pollution."
Ethiopia is set to join Kenya in 2026, with more countries to follow. Douma expects the initiative "to take learnings from our work to date to the broader ecosystem in Africa, addressing human rights issues for informal workers across the continent."
Waste pickers number around 46,000 in Kenya, according to the Kenya National Waste Pickers Welfare Association, per The Star. Despite their valuable role in addressing the country's near 1 million tons of plastic waste generated annually, they face safety challenges and resistance.
Douma told The Star that they're subject to "routine discrimination and lack formal recognition." Meanwhile, the plastic recycling situation in Kenya is dire, with only an estimated 27% collected and 8% recycled, per the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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The hope is that this initiative will formalize waste pickers' roles, increase their efficiency, improve their safety, and elevate their income. It will partner with Mr. Green Africa, a Nairobi-based organization that has established relationships with collectors.
An assessment of Mr. Green Africa commended several best practices but also uncovered challenging circumstances for some workers. Those included "instances of low pay, unsafe working conditions, and poor access to social and financial services."
Coca-Cola's involvement in the initiative is an eco-friendly move to be applauded but bears some scrutiny. While the partnership will help tackle the plastic pollution problem in Africa, it doesn't erase that the brand is the largest producer of branded plastic waste.
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More conscientious moves like this one or removing plastic rings on cans can help reduce the brand's negative impact. It's heartening that the brand sees the value in waste pickers.
"Informal waste workers are critical to our efforts to build a more sustainable future and help reduce packaging waste," noted the president of the Coca-Cola Foundation, Carlos Pagoaga, per The Star.
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