The 10^th Circular Economy Conference held on 19^th and 20^th November 2025 at the Nairobi Street Kitchen was more than an annual gathering; it was a moment of reflection, renewal, and bold reimagining for Kenya’s circular economy movement. Designed as a zero-waste event, attendees experienced sustainability first-hand: vegan meals, refillable water stations, reusable notebooks, and an encouragement to carry personal pens and bottles. It set the tone for a conference that demonstrated what a circular future can look like in practice. 

Circular Economy: Kenya’s Next Big Growth Frontier  

In her opening remarks, Anja Berreta the head of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Regional Programme Economy Africa, who are an international partner reinforcing multi-stakeholder dialogue on circular economy strategy and scaling of circular practices, emphasised that shifting from a linear to a circular model is not only an environmental necessity but an economic opportunity. She highlighted key areas where Kenya stands to gain: reducing post-harvest losses in agriculture, reusing construction materials, and scaling e-waste recycling hubs. She noted that circularity could contribute an estimated 2–3% to Kenya’s GDP while creating thousands of green jobs. 

Akshay Shah the Chair of the Kenya Plastics Pact (KPP) Steering Committee, emphasised that Kenya could position itself as a global hub for green manufacturing by harnessing renewable energy and converting local waste into valuable raw materials. Opportunities lie in repair, upcycling, reuse, repurposing, and recycling models; ecotourism grounded in clean, sustainable living, and using wastelands for productive green investments. Additionally, Dr Festus Ngeno , the Principal Secretary (PS) for Environment and Climate Change in the Republic of Kenya observed, circularity can significantly reduce reliance on imports while strengthening collaboration with development partners and unlocking climate benefits, which aligns strongly with the outcomes and ambitions reaffirmed at the Conference of Parties (COP) 30. 

Looking Back to Shape the Future 

Kenya has had a gradual but notable journey in attempting to shift its production models from the conventional ‘take-make-dispose’ to more circular models that enable re-using, recycling or even upcycling of waste. Carole Kariuki, CEO of Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), reflected on the paradox of ‘looking back to the future’, which was a call to revisit what Kenya has not yet done to achieve a more sustainable society. She highlighted the long-standing relationship between the private sector and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), while acknowledging current concerns around the newly implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework under the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 which states that ‘ every producer shall bear extended producer responsibility to reduce pollution and environmental impacts of the products they introduce into the Kenyan market and waste arising therefrom’. 

Although EPR aims to reduce pollution and ensure producers take responsibility for the waste generated by the products they place on the market, businesses have raised concerns, such as: 

• Increased compliance and waste-management costs 

• Unclear regulations and implementation systems 

• Operational Challenges for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) 

• Risks of penalties and disruptions for non-compliance 

• Competitiveness concerns for importers 

Despite these challenges, Carole stressed that circular production strengthens Kenya’s private-sector competitiveness both locally and globally.  In addition, Ps Festus Ng’eno noted that since 60% of Kenya’s waste is poorly managed, embracing reuse, repair, recycling, and upcycling is essential for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Ubuntu: The Heartbeat of a Circular Africa 

Ubuntu, the African philosophy interpreted as ‘I am because we are’, emerged as a powerful thread connecting circularity to African identity. This philosophy aligns deeply with human-centred design, which prioritises people’s values, lived experiences, and real community needs. 

When circular innovation is rooted in Ubuntu, solutions such as repair networks, community recycling hubs, waste-reduction systems, and sustainable product redesign become more inclusive, culturally grounded, and socially equitable. 

In this spirit, Kamilla Heden, a circular economy sector counsellor at the embassy of Denmark in Kenya, highlighted the crucial yet often overlooked role of waste pickers, who face challenges such as low pay, unsafe working conditions, and competition from large recyclers. The conference called for structured dialogue to ensure waste pickers, who are key actors in Kenya’s recycling ecosystem, are not left behind.  

As the conference neared closure, two key announcements that shifted the landscape and will influence national policy were made;  

• The Launch of the ‘ No single-use Plastics’ campaign 

A major highlight was the national call to reduce single-use plastics across hotels, restaurants, cafes, conferences, and public events. The announcement symbolised a bold shift from intention to implementation, sparking applause across the room. 

• Unveiling of the Toolkit on Advancing Circularity in the Waste and Textile sector in Kenya 

A new, business-friendly toolkit was unveiled to support the textile and apparel industry in adopting circular models. It simplifies circularity into practical steps, templates, case studies, and investment pathways, positioning it as a game changer for green innovation. 

Display of Innovation, Ingenuity, and African Excellence 

The exhibition floor buzzed with creativity, showcasing upcycled fashion, biodegradable packaging, plastic-derived raw materials, clean energy models, and community recycling hubs. It was the perfect demonstration that circularity is not a distant concept, but it is alive, practical, and already reshaping livelihoods. 

Beyond showcasing innovation, the conference also highlighted initiatives designed to support the transition to circular production systems. Notably, the Circular Retrofitting for Sustainable Industrialization (Geckocir) project which aims to promote circularity within food and beverage processing companies, would be an enabler of this transition. The project supports practical approaches through which companies can adopt more circular practices such as upcycling of food processing waste into higher value products, thereby creating additional revenue streams from materials that would otherwise be discarded. 

In conclusion, the 10th edition of the circular economy conference in Kenya will be remembered because it was people-centred, blended African philosophy with global innovation, showcased real-world solutions, announced commitments that will shape national policy, placed community and humanity at the heart of circularity, and demonstrated that sustainability is a shared journey. As the curtains closed, one truth was undeniable: Africa’s circular future will be defined not by isolated efforts, but by a society grounded in Ubuntu, designing a future in which everyone can thrive together. 

About the GeckoCIR) Project

The Circular Retrofitting for Sustainable Industrialization (GeckoCIR) Project, funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), advances Kenya’s transition toward a near zero-waste society by shifting food waste management from downcycling to high-value upcycling. Led by the University of Copenhagen in partnership with Rodee ApS, JKUAT, the University of Nairobi, the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), GeckoCIR pilots the Rodee technology to assess the viability of circular retrofitting within and between manufacturing firms. The project strengthens research and industrial capacity to transform food side streams into safe, nutritious food and other high-value products, promotes data-driven circular economy solutions, and defines scalable circular models for Kenyan industries—laying a strong foundation for national and county circular economy strategies while showcasing Africa’s leapfrogging potential through circular innovation.

Click here to visit the webpage of the project

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Related resources:

Blog: From Waste to Resource: Circular Economy as a Solution for Sustainable Waste Management