The ‘Taka Taka’ project, meaning ‘garbage project’ in Swahili, aims to deal with Kenya's plastic problem at its source - incentivising collectors to retrieve plastic waste directly from households and businesses around Nairobi. Once collected, waste is taken to a central recycling facility in the city where it is washed and recycled into flakes and pellets which are then sold to local plastic manufacturers. In future the project aims to implement buyback centres at waste sites to facilitate waste recovery and expand the volume of plastic waste collected.

Establishing infrastructure for the recycling of single-use and flexible plastics is key in Kenya’s journey towards eradicating plastic pollution in the country. By proactively dealing with over 5,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year the initiative both improves living conditions in Kenya and preserves the health of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Through employing 70 local workers the project additionally accelerates Kenya’s green economy while providing income security to waste pickers.