Turning waste plastic into sustainable prosperity

EcoPost, founded by Lorna Rutto in 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya, recycles plastic waste into durable building materials to combat urban pollution and deforestation. The company targets 1 million kilos of recycling annually, employs over 2,250 people (including 2,000 casual collectors), and provides health benefits and above-average wages. By replacing timber, EcoPost helps mitigate the loss of 5,000 hectares of Kenyan forest per year.

• Nairobi faces a significant waste management crisis, producing more than 2,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with only approximately 50% being collected due to resource shortages and inadequate legislation. Uncollected waste leads to blocked drains, the spread of disease, and the presence of vermin.
• Founded in 2009, EcoPost recycles discarded plastic into lightweight, durable building materials such as planks and posts that are resistant to rot and termites. The company has an annual recycling target of 1 million kilos and has expanded to a second site due to high demand.
• EcoPost's products serve as a substitute for timber, addressing Kenya's deforestation problem where forests are lost at a rate of 5,000 hectares per year. This forest loss is driven by illegal logging, urban encroachment, and timber demand, resulting in soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and increased carbon emissions.
• The business provides significant employment and social benefits, employing approximately 250 people in recycling plants and over 2,000 casual waste collectors. Women constitute more than 50% of the workforce, and full-time employees receive salaries above the national average and health and hospital benefits.
• Lorna Rutto aims for EcoPost to become an integrated waste management company within five years, with a goal to employ 50,000 people within Kenya and expand operations into other African regions.

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} }