Geocycle, a global waste management firm that is present in over 60 countries, has entered the Kenyan market with an objective of providing a solution to waste management that leaves no residue after disposal.
Reports on waste management indicate that most county and domestic waste is disposed in open dumpsites, with biomedical waste, condemned, damaged or expired goods incinerated largely through burners that do not meet the requirements stipulated the Third schedule of the Waste Management Regulations of 2006.
Kenya’s challenge in waste management lies in the final disposal processes, as County Governments and waste management service providers do not provide the final disposal process, forcing them to dispose waste in landfills - such as the Dandora dumpsite.
Following the launch, Geocycle will be the only waste management firm in the country to provide the entire waste management processes from collection, transportation, segregation, auditing, as well as disposal in a process that does not require waste to be disposed off in landfills.
With a capacity to incinerating 15,000 tons of waste annually, Geocycle intends partner with local waste management firms, counties, industrial and agricultural sectors in its mission to ensure a zero-waste future for Kenya.
Speaking during the launch, Bamburi Cement Country CEO, Bruno Pescheux, noted that Geocycle will complement Kenya’s Vision 2030 and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) guiding principle on Solid Waste Management Initiatives (SWMI) which calls for ZERO WASTE strategies to create wealth, employment and reduce environmental pollution.
“However, the current waste management solutions focus on dumpsites, open burning and incineration of hazardous and medical waste. Such solutions do not result to zero waste and have adverse impact to the environment and society,”said Mr. Pescheux.
The partnership, that is in line with Bamburi Cement’s environmental sustainability goals will also result in a reduction in the carbon emission footprint in the county, which is currently very high due to among other things, the open burning of waste from landfills and other undesignated dumping points.
It will also afford Bamburi Cement safer and cost effective energy for cement production. Due to the high cost of cement production, waste derived fuel will provide a more economical and sustainable option compared to use of fossil fuels.
The launch of Geocycle makes Kenya among the first countries in Africa to benefit from international waste management standards that leaves no residue after disposal.
Currently, Geocycle collects, segregates and incinerates waste - Biomass, waste oil and Waste tyres in cement kilns of cement manufacturer, Bamburi Cement Limited, a process that results in zero residue thereby reducing the need for landfills and management of the Environment.
“This approach to Waste disposal via in cement kilns, we have seen is a progressive step that will help reduce landfills thus free more land for development. We also foresee reduction of the carbon emission footprint in the country, as it is currently at an all time high with the open burning of waste and emissions from landfill,” noted Simon Wathigo, Head of Geocycle Kenya.
“We are in the process of stepping up on our Waste management actions in order to provide a one-stop-shop to our customers. The solution will collect and segregate waste into; recyclables to be used as raw material for other industries, organics which will be used to makes compost for agricultural sector and combustibles which can be used as fuel to industries. Such a solution results to zero waste to landfill,” said Wathigo.
Geocycle annually preserves land equivalent to the size of 85 football fields, processes 14 million tons of waste materials worldwide leaving no residues, and prevents greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that produced by 250,000 cars.
It also saves energy equivalent to that of heating 180,000 households by processing waste from municipal sources.