Author: Josephine Wawira

The Kenya Plastics Pact released its first version of the Design Guidelines for Recyclability in Kenya, for PET Bottles and HDPE Bottles & Jars, during the Pre-World Environment Day National Dialogue which took place May 31st in Nairobi.  The guidelines are in line with the Pact’s second target which aims to ensure that 100% of plastic packaging is reusable or recyclable in the country by 2030, and with the 2023 World Environment Day theme dubbed, “Beat Plastic Pollution”.  “Addressing plastic pollution requires collective action at multiple levels. It entails strengthening waste management systems, promoting sustainable practices, investing in recycling infrastructure, enforcing regulations,…

I met Naftal Kobags and his group of 14 youthful Coastarians in 2020. They were trainees in the first phase of our COAST Project in Mombasa, facilitated by Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya on sustainable waste management, converting waste to money-making business cases, entrepreneurship, business skills, and financial literacy. Their enthusiasm was quite captivating but more encouraging is that visiting them one year later in 2021, they were applying the skills learned during the training to create a sustainable income while protecting the environment. Guided by the belief that businesses can become circular and sustainable with positive impacts on the planet, people and profits, this project has helped the youth and women earn an income that…

Imagine having a headache. You take a painkiller, and it goes away for a few hours. But it comes back, and you take another and another.  It is always said that when the problem persists, seek medical attention. At this point, you need a doctor to determine the cause of your headache and treat it before it’s too late.  The planet faces a plastic pollution headache every year; different organizations conduct cleanups in various places to cure this headache, among other activities. Unfortunately, it has persisted like an addiction for decades, and it’s time we sought a different approach—a possible…

The Sustainable Inclusive Business (SIB-Kenya), Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has released a report dubbed “Change the Story: Developing a Local Carbon Market in Kenya”. The report describes the current situation, reflects on the opportunities for a Kenyan carbon market, and comes just days after the 2023 Earth Hour celebrations. It has been published in partnership with the global Sustainability Consultant Group, TheRockGroup. Climate change and biodiversity are complex, global, and interconnected issues. This report is limited to the role of the Kenyan private sector in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) with a focus on nature-based solutions (NBS) in addressing…

For a long time now, the economy and the conservation of biodiversity seemed to be two different worlds. Not many CEOs or financial managers were able to explain how their company’s impact contributed to the loss of species, deforestation or the acidification of oceans. But times have changed.  Today, trailblazing entrepreneurs understand that they don’t have to be biologists to recognize the correlation between nature and the economy. In simple terms; on a dead planet, there would be no thriving business.  Biodiversity is on the verge of collapse   The more we know about nature, the clearer it dawns to us…

The rise and growth of e-commerce in the world and primarily in Africa has created a lot of business opportunities, not only in urban but also in rural areas. The good news is that there is undoubtedly increased connectivity, reaching even the previously inaccessible remote villages across the continent and connecting them with e-commerce. Over the past approximately three years, the market has been noted to move substantially in the direction of developing logistics meant to tear down barriers for e-commerce penetration in rural markets. Consequently, online retailers can now reach customers in remote cities, while locals have access to…