Corporate take-back schemes must be a value exchange

November 12, 2026

Dear subscriber,

At home, I have a drawer full of old phones and other electronics that have reached the end of their useful lives. I have held on to them, knowing that some of their components and materials still have value. Yet some corporate take-back schemes expect consumers to surrender such products for recycling without compensation. What is the chance of them succeeding?

Mercy Maina – Editor

Corporate take-back schemes are gaining ground as a response to Africa's waste problem. However, a recent appeal by Kenyan telco giant Safaricom for consumers to surrender unwanted electronics without compensation has raised questions about the commercial interests behind such initiatives and who ultimately benefits from them.

  • With large customer bases, established distribution networks and strong brand recognition, corporations have significant advantages in collecting discarded products at scale.

  • However, such initiatives risk undermining circularity if they fail or corporate interests take precedence over meaningful resource recovery, equitable value distribution and support for existing recycling businesses. 

  • Our take: Africa needs stronger regulatory oversight of corporate take-back schemes to prevent companies from undermining circularity… Read more (2 min)

Africa’s recycling industry could see sustained growth as governments introduce recycled content requirements and businesses seek sustainable sources of raw materials, says Sarah Njau of GFS East Africa. However, she argues that unlocking this potential will require supportive policies, markets for recycled materials and regional cooperation.

  • “When you look at most of the regulations coming in globally regarding the environment, circular economy and waste management, you realise that most governments are actually including recycling targets and recycled content requirements in products,” she says.

  • Ms Njau is Managing Director of GFS East Africa, an environmental compliance and advisory company working with stakeholders on extended producer responsibility (EPR) and waste management. The company is a subsidiary of Germany-based Green Forest Solutions, which designs, develops and implements EPR and circular economy systems across emerging markets and the Global South.

  • Read the conversation here (2 min)

Where circular businesses can find funding and growth support

Circular Rising has compiled seven new opportunities for African circular businesses to access funding, technical assistance and business development support. Covering various sectors, the opportunities comprise accelerator programmes, innovation challenges and incubation initiatives currently accepting applications across the continent.

  • Continent-wide programmes dominate, accounting for four of the seven opportunities, with the remaining three targeting specific regions.

  • Five of the seven opportunities are led by private sector organisations, foundations or nonprofits, while two are led by development agencies and international institutions.

  • Our take: Incubation and accelerator programmes could help bridge the gap between early-stage circular businesses and mainstream financing…Read more (2 min)

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Source: Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes

Polysmart Packaging launches new plastic recycling facility in Nigeria

Events

📅 Network at the the 2nd Annual ESG & Climate Africa Summit in Kenya (Nov 24)

🤝 Attend the Continental CE Business & Supply Chain Forum in Kenya (Nov 27)

Jobs

🧕🏼 Manage waste collection operations at the City of Cape Town (South Africa)

🧑‍💼 Oversee integrated waste management at the City of Cape Town (South Africa)

👷🏾 Lead waste disposal operations at the City of Cape Town (South Africa)

🧑‍⚕️ Consult on circular economy at ITU (Africa)

👩‍💼 Coordinate project development at Sewtreat (South Africa)

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Various 

💹 The global waste market to grow at a 6.24% CAGR from 2027 to 2032

🗑️ Scrap policy deepens poverty for South Africa’s wastepickers

🪧 How plastic waste transforms into higher value products

🤷 The human cost of recycling: Kenyan waste pickers put their health at risk 

⁉️ Does this circular economy solution turn your stomach? 

Seen on LinkedIn 

Gemechu Beyene, an environmental engineering researcher, says. “Waste management is not simply an environmental service, but a fundamental determinant of community health and well-being. While important progress has been made in bringing solid waste management closer to the global health agenda, the need to revisit and strengthen existing waste management assessment frameworks remains as relevant as ever.”