Turning plastic waste into a goldmine

Yohana Otieno crushes used plastic bottles in Kisumu which are thereafter recycled and used to reduce litter in the city. (PHOTO: COLLINS ODUOR/ STANDARD)

Born and bred in Siaya County’s Karapul Village, Nashon Nyanga Okongo was disgusted at the sight of children as young as eight months crawling and playing amidst waste.

He had just moved to Nyalenda slums in Kisumu County to stay with his elder sister after the demise of his parents. Everyday, as he made his way to Jua Kali area to seek menial jobs, he would come across young children playing with different types of waste and from their pungent smell one could tell the waste was hazardous.

It is here that the dream to make a difference for the children started. He began looking into waste management and had consultations with relevant government authorities.

“Once I had gathered the information I needed, I set up a site within the slums where residents could collect waste that can be recycled then he would approach companies in need of these products,” Nashon says.

Nashon, or Mrefu - as he is now commonly referred to, has set up Taka Pesa in Kaloleni, Shauri Moyo slums where he has employed ten casual laborers to help him sort out the waste.

There is a plastic crusher on site which is used to crush the plastics before they are transported to recycling companies.

He then sells this recyclable waste to Viatu Limited Kisumu, Premier Industries, Halal Industries, Kenplastic Ltd, and Hui Commercial all based in Nairobi.

“It is challenging transporting this waste to Nairobi but being able to do this is a dream come true for me. I am making the world a better place,” he says.

Nashon says since he started this work, he no longer looks at waste the way he used to. He believes this waste is the same he watched children play with endangering their lives and is glad to have since changed the narrative.

“Street children no longer need to be involved in crime. They can keep themselves busy collecting waste and get paid for their efforts,” he says.