Turning waste plastic into sustainable prosperity

EcoPost, founded by Lorna Rutto in 2009, converts discarded plastic from Nairobi's streets into durable building materials, reducing the demand for timber and mitigating deforestation. The company employs approximately 250 plant workers and 2,000 casual collectors, providing health benefits and salaries above the national average.

• Nairobi faces a significant waste management challenge, producing over 2,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with only about 50% being collected due to resource and legal deficiencies.
• EcoPost mitigates deforestation in Kenya, where forests are lost at a rate of 5,000 hectares annually, by providing plastic planks and posts as alternatives to timber.
• The company creates significant local employment and social benefits, employing roughly 250 plant staff and over 2,000 casual collectors, with women comprising more than half of the workforce.
• EcoPost aims to evolve into an integrated waste management company within five years, with a goal of employing 50,000 people across Africa.

APA

Martin, B. (2017). Turning waste plastic into sustainable prosperity. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/waste-not-want-not

Chicago

Martin, Ben. Turning waste plastic into sustainable prosperity. Green Economy Coalition, 2017. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/waste-not-want-not.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martin |first1=Ben |title=Turning waste plastic into sustainable prosperity |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=19 July 2017 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/waste-not-want-not |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martin2017turning, author = {Martin, Ben}, title = {{Turning waste plastic into sustainable prosperity}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/waste-not-want-not}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }