By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, 26 November 2025 - In a landmark initiative for environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism, Kenya has launched the “NO SUP USE” campaign, a nationwide effort to phase out problematic single use plastics (SUPs) in the hospitality and tourism sectors.
The announcement came at the 10th Annual Circular Economy Conference and No Waste Festival in Nairobi, under the banner of the Kenya Plastics Pact (KPP). The campaign, backed by government agencies, environmental NGOs, private enterprises, waste management firms, and informal waste picker networks, seeks to replace the disposable “take make throw” model with a circular economy of reuse, refill, reduce and recycling.
KPP has published a list of “problematic and unnecessary plastics” that includes polystyrene packaging, plastic straws, disposable cutlery, plastic bottles, and other single use items, calling on hotels, restaurants, and tourism facilities across the country to phase them out by 2030.
We want to eliminate plastics that are problematic and unnecessary
At the launch, Karin Boomsma, Project Director of Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya, the secretariat of KPP, emphasized that the campaign rests on concrete research rather than goodwill alone. She said the initiative aims to rally all stakeholders behind a shared elimination agenda to redefine how Kenya uses and disposes of plastics.
“We want to eliminate plastics that are problematic and unnecessary. This is not based on a gut feeling but on research, and it involves bringing everyone together in this space to say what is actually problematic and unnecessary.”
Private Sector, Policy and People, All Eyes on Circularity
Support for the initiative cuts across sectors. Carole Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), said the plastics pact marks a shift in business thinking: from piloting environmental initiatives to embracing wholesale systems redesign.
She framed circular economy not merely as an environmental goal, but as an economic strategy to drive innovation, job creation, and sustainable growth. “Circularity has moved from theory to practice, from pilots to programmes, from Nairobi to counties, and from waste management to full systems redesign.”
The pact’s roadmap, endorsed by more than 30 business members, aims for 100% of plastic packaging in Kenya to become reusable or recyclable by 2030. It also targets that at least 40% of plastic packaging should be effectively recycled, with an average of 15% recycled content across all packaging.
Hospitality Sector is First in Line
Hotels, resorts, lodges, restaurants, and other tourism related facilities have been identified as early adopters in the drive. Under the campaign, participating businesses will display a “No SUP Use” logo, a visual signal to customers that the establishment is committed to plastic free practices. The expectation is that visible commitment will drive consumer demand and prompt widespread uptake.
The hospitality trade’s buy-in is significant because tourism is one of Kenya’s economic pillars. By aligning environmental goals with tourism industry incentives, the campaign offers a unique opportunity for an ecofriendly brand for Kenyan travel destinations, from coastal beaches to wildlife reserves.
Waste Pickers, Recyclers, Innovators, A Wider Circular Economy
Beyond tourism, the initiative seeks to integrate informal waste pickers, recyclers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs into a coherent value chain. According to KPP, approximately 22,000 tonnes of waste are generated daily in Kenya, with plastics accounting for about 20% of that total. Current estimates show that only about 8% of plastic waste is recycled annually; the rest ends up in landfills, incineration, or environmental pollution.
By promoting reuse, refill, redesign and recycling at scale, the campaign could catalyze green jobs, especially for youth, women, and informal sector workers engaged in waste collection, recycling, refurbishing and manufacturing of alternative products.
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KEPSA and implementing partners say this forms the backbone of Kenya’s emerging circular economy strategy, one that promises economic resilience alongside environmental protection.
The Environmental Frontline
Not all support comes from industry or policymakers. On the civil society front, Greenpeace Africa has welcomed the campaign, urging the nation to not only recycle plastic waste but prevent its production and use in the first place.
At a recent Refill & Reuse Festival in Nairobi, the group argued that a refill and reuse system aligns more with Kenya’s traditional values of resourcefulness and communal living, and could reduce pollution while creating livelihoods. According to Hellen Dena, a project officer at Greenpeace Africa, recycling alone is not enough; the system must be built from the ground up.
“Refill and reuse systems are not new to Africa. They are rooted in our culture and have existed since time immemorial. What is new is the invasion of single use plastics pushed by corporations prioritizing profit over people and planet,” she said.
Challenges Ahead: From Policy to Practice
While the campaign represents an ambitious step forward, obstacles remain. Implementation across Kenya’s diverse economic landscape is not guaranteed. Small-scale businesses, informal traders, remote lodges and rural communities may struggle to access alternatives to single-use plastics due to cost, supply chains, or lack of infrastructure. Ensuring compliance will demand coordinated enforcement by regulators, private sector, and communities.
Recycling infrastructure, collection systems, refill and reuse supply chains and regulations, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), will need heavy investments. KPP and the Ministry of Environment emphasize that success depends on the country’s ability to shift from a linear “take make dispose” model to a circular one, with coordinated actions across government, business, and civil society.
Take-Out for Kenya and Africa
Kenya generates vast quantities of plastic waste daily, much of which ends up in rivers, oceans, dumps, or burned, leading to environmental degradation, threats to marine life, water pollution, soil contamination, and public health risks.
Tourism, especially along the coast and in protected natural areas, depends on clean beaches, healthy ecosystems and pristine landscapes. Plastic pollution threatens these assets, potentially undermining tourism revenue and Kenya’s reputation as a travel destination.
Moreover, the circular economy model offers a pathway to green jobs, sustainable business models, and a shift away from reliance on single use plastics. For Kenya’s youth and informal economy workers, this could mean new livelihoods, in recycling, waste management, upcycling, refill systems, ecofriendly packaging manufacturing, and green services.
The Road Ahead: Commitments, Investments and Citizen Action
For the “NO SUP USE” campaign to succeed, stakeholders stress that it must go beyond declarations. It requires: strong enforcement; investments in recycling infrastructure; expansion of reuse and refill systems; affordable alternatives for small businesses and households; public awareness campaigns; and inclusive participation of informal sector workers.
As Carole Kariuki puts it, circular economy is not optional, it is central to Kenya’s future prosperity. As Karin Boomsma said, this is not about goodwill, but about data driven, collective action. For Kenya, the time to act is now.
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