The Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers (KAWR) has placed recycling education and public sensitization at the core of its mandate. As the premier (BMO) business membership organization for Kenya’s private-sector waste management and recycling, KAWR works to empower the recycling value chain, advocate for supportive policies, and connect recyclers to markets. This focus on awareness and capacity building has positioned KAWR as a leader in advancing the country’s transition to a circular economy.
Against this backdrop, KAWR is joining the world in marking Global Recycling Week, an annual commemoration that amplifies the mission of reducing waste, conserving resources, and inspiring citizens to take responsibility for what they consume and discard. The week serves as a global platform to highlight innovations, celebrate grassroots recyclers, and rally public action toward a more sustainable future.
This year in Kenya, KAWR is championing the national rallying call:
“Mixing Creates Waste, Sorting Creates Opportunities — Join the Recycling Movement!”
This slogan underscores the fact that waste only becomes valuable when it is separated at source. Mixing destroys material value and clogs recycling systems, while sorting unlocks opportunities—jobs, cleaner neighborhoods, new enterprises, and a thriving circular economy. The call to “join the movement” extends beyond recyclers to every household, institution, and business, inviting all Kenyans to become active participants in transforming the waste landscape.
To bring this message to life, KAWR has lined up a week of activities aimed at sensitizing the public, training grassroots groups, and showcasing the economic potential of sorting at source. The kickoff took place on 23rd September 2025 with a KAWR team led by Sylvia Ochiba, KAWR’s Administration and partnership officer, who visited Mukuru Integrated CBO in Embakasi East. This community-based organization brings together 20 youth groups engaged in waste management at the source, demonstrating how local champions are converting challenges into opportunities despite threats of eviction and limited infrastructure.
Throughout Global Recycling Week, KAWR will continue to amplify stories like Mukuru Integrated CBO’s and roll out community engagement forums, media campaigns, and partnerships with local governments and private sector players to scale up source separation and recycling initiatives, culminating with a national virtual public townhall where experts will delve into the subject.
KAWR calls on all stakeholders—households, businesses, institutions, and government agencies—to rise up and join the recycling movement. By sorting at source, every Kenyan can play a role in reducing waste, creating livelihoods, and advancing a cleaner, greener, and more inclusive economy.