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- West African firms secure capital backing to scale recycling
West African firms secure capital backing to scale recycling
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 | Two West African firms have received financial backing from investors to advance their recycling activities. In Nigeria, Hinckley has secured $1.5 million from Shell-backed impact investor All On to construct battery recycling facilities. In Ghana and Nigeria, Norfund is investing an undisclosed amount in Mohinani Group to promote plastic recycling. |
Hinckley is a leading e-waste recycler in Nigeria. It will use the funding to establish the country’s first advanced lithium-ion battery recycling and reuse as well as used lead acid battery recycling facilities.
Mohinani Group is an African multi-sector conglomerate with business interests in recycling. The company will use the Norfund loan to support the expansion of its pioneering recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) initiatives in Ghana and Nigeria.
Our take: The growing investments in recycling suggest a shift from viewing recycling solely as waste management to recognising it as a strategic pathway for sustainable growth….… Read more (2 min)
 | Despite the critical role that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) plays in promoting a circular economy, Jose Ramon Carbajosa says the concept is “too often misunderstood, misapplied, or misused” in the global south. The result, he argues, is a persistent disconnect between EPR’s promise on paper and the realities of implementation on the ground. |
Mr Carbajosa is a circularity consultant who has worked in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, supporting the design and implementation of EPR systems.
He says governments and stakeholders must design EPR systems grounded in local capacity, economic realities and institutional discipline. Without this foundation, he warns, “we risk wasting another decade of potential.”
Read the full opinion article here (2 min)
 | The North African nation of Egypt has launched its first end-to-end recycling system for aseptic beverage cartons, branded “Green Jobs from a Box”. Backed by international and local partners, the project targets the collection of over 700 metric tonnes of used cartons in three years while creating green jobs for more than 1,000 waste collectors. |
Aseptic beverage cartons, commonly used for milk and juice, are made from layered paper, plastic and aluminium that preserve freshness without refrigeration.
The new system closes the loop by integrating community collection, fibre recovery and reuse of PolyAl, the plastic-aluminium mix left after paper extraction.
Our take: With Africa’s liquid packaging market projected to grow, success in Egypt could demonstrate how circular solutions in packaging can be scaled regionally……Read more (2 min)
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Desks made from hard-to-recycle multi-laminate materials in a S. African classroom
Events
🗓️ Network at the Africa International E-Waste Conference in Kenya (October 16)
🗓️ Participate in the Nature and Circularity Week in South Africa (October 20)
🗓️ Sign up for the South Africa Circular Summit (October 23)
Jobs
👷 Guide the construction of a waste management system at Peace Winds (Kenya)
👷 Support the design of waste infrastructure at VHW (Burundi)
👷 Repair recycling machinery in Lagos (Nigeria)
👷 Maintain plastic recycling equipment in Lagos (Nigeria)
👷 Offer driving services to recycling team at Technoserve (Nigeria)
👷 Work as circularity consultant at ITU (Africa)
Various
🤝 Nairobi partners with Chinese company for WTE plant at Dandora dumpsite
⚠️ Kenyan government issues ultimatum over waste management
👮 Ghanaian waste pickers demand standardised plastic prices nationwide
🚭 South Africa to launch progressive project to tackle plastic pollution
👗Opinion: Nigeria's plastic waste could enrich the fashion industry
💷 South African waste recovery centre receives funding boost
Seen on LinkedIn
Wilson Mbugua, a civil and structural engineer says, “Civil engineers have a key role in rethinking urban waste systems, ensuring our cities not only stay clean but also generate green energy for transport. Imagine Nairobi buses fueled by the very waste we produce daily — a step towards sustainable, efficient, and resilient cities.”