Kenya Association of Manufacturers is piloting a Circular Economy programme with SMEs in Ruaraka
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) is piloting a Circular Economy programme for local SMEs with Denmark in Ruaraka, Nairobi. This was revealed during a Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) and KAM virtual meetup with Kenyan bloggers held last week.
Thematic areas of discussion during the virtual meetup that was broadcasted on YouTube and Facebook included the Expansion of the Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (CEEC) to the Centre for Green Growth and Climate Change (CGGCC) with focus on Resource Efficiency Services such as energy, water and wastewater audits.
Panelists included KAM CEO Ms Phyllis Wakiaga, Dr Ayub Macharia-Ministry of Environment, Director of Environmental Education and Awareness and Akshay Shah- SilAfrica Group MD.
The idea of circular economy according to KAM could not come at a better time when environmentalists, governments and even the private sector are in tandem with environmental conservation and reducing pollution.
‘’It has now more than ever become necessary for industries to concentrate on the final destination of their products and find new avenues to provide resources for continuous production. Industrialists have now become conscious of the effects of their products to the immediate environment and to the future ecosystem. In short, they are now ready to embrace a circular economy.’’ Akshay Shah, said.
The pilot comes just after KAM launched the Kenya Plastic Action Plan IN 2019 to sustainably manage plastic waste in the country. The private sector-led Policy and Action Plan seeks to enable a circular economy for the environmentally sustainable use and recycling of plastics in Kenya.
The circular economy programme in Ruaraka according to Phyllis Wakiaga has 30 SMEs on board. The main activities of the pilot are to develop and apply a circular screening tool and engage and screen the Ruaraka companies.
‘’We’ve continued to raise awareness with different platforms to help the consumers become conscious of the circular economy. Like how they handle waste or plastics in their communities’’ she said.
Adopting circular economy KAM says has proven to provide opportunities for a country to retain liquidity and therefore open opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment.
”We are putting in place process optimization programs to ensure companies that move towards circular economy and can be more complaint” Phyllis added.
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