Kenya Launches Responsible Sourcing Drive to Protect Waste Pickers

The Circulate Initiative, a global non-profit organization dedicated to addressing ocean plastic pollution in emerging markets, has officially launched the first African implementation of its Responsible Sourcing Initiative in Kenya, marking a critical step in tackling systemic human rights challenges faced by informal waste workers in the plastics recycling value chain.

Funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and the IKEA Foundation, the Kenya project is being implemented in partnership with Nairobi-based recycler Mr. Green Africa. It will roll out the Harmonized Responsible Sourcing Framework the world’s first global standard for responsible sourcing of recycled plastics with selected local suppliers, with Ethiopia set to follow in 2026.