PACKAGING
Reimagining plastics – from waste to value Dow has invested in Kenya’s Mr. Green Africa to enable further diversion of plastic waste from informal dumpsites and the environment. The investment will also drive positive change among communities, address inadequacies in existing waste management systems and close the loop on plastics waste across Africa.
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or Dow, this investment is the first of its kind on the African continent. It is expected to enable approximately 90 kilotonnes of plastic waste to be recovered over four years and recycled into new packaging applications. With the support from Dow and other investors, Mr. Green Africa plans to expand its Kenyan operations to other countries in Africa, further extending the capabilities of its recycling efforts across the continent. Dow and Mr. Green Africa also aim to co-develop more traceable, fair, highquality post-consumer recyclate (PCR) that can be used in the production of new flexible plastic packaging – helping brand owners and other plastic manufacturers achieve their goals regarding sustainable packaging solutions in Africa. At full scale, the investment is expected to create approximately 200 more direct jobs, impact the lives of 5 000 waste pickers and engage more than 250 000 consumers in separation-at-source programmes.
ADDRESSING AFRICA’S WASTE CHALLENGES Mr. Green Africa converts plastic waste collected in Kenya into high-quality PCR, which
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Mr. Green employees arrange sorted plastic at aggregation centres ready for processing
is then sold as a substitute for imported virgin plastics to help close the loop on plastic waste. The recycling company works closely with brand owners and third-party manufacturers of plastics to access ethically-sourced, locallyproduced PCR, and supports companies in meeting their sustainability targets. Marco ten Bruggencate, Dow’s commercial vice president for packaging and specialty
Did you know? Mr. Green Africa is the first recycling company on the continent to be a Certified B Corporation. These are businesses that do more than make a profit. Certified B Corporations prioritise people and the planet in everything they do.
