Zero-Waste World

George Mahinda Kinyanjui, is a SEED social innovator after winning 2009 SEED Award from UNDP, UNEP and IUCN during the UN General Assembly. He is also a SEED Accelerator on Nature Based Solutions with production of herbal products and biodiversity conservation. Holds a Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Botany and Zoology from University of Nairobi (1984) and Post-graduate Diploma in Mass Communication from University of Nairobi (1989). The SEED Award was for a project Integrated Recycling of dirty polythenes into plastic posts without cleaning. 

I am passionate about clean, healthy and sustainable environment. An expert in Sustainable Solid Waste Management (SSWM) and Climate Change. I am deeply involved in science engagement and communication with advocacy that have seen various policy decisions taken. This include Mombasa Environmental Bylaws 2010 and Nairobi City Sustainable Solid Waste Management Master-plan 2010. Waste results in pollution that have adverse effects on human health and well-being.

Zero Waste World envisions a world without waste as per SDG 12 in the believe that the world has enough to feed everyone but not enough to waste. Waste causes air, water and land pollution with adverse effects on human health and well-being and the planet. 

Targets a world where the waste is treated as a natural resource for the circular economy through cheap innovations and technologies which when adopted by the poor youth and women assist in livelihoods. These Community Waste Based Enterprises (CWBE) include Organic Waste to Organic Fertilizer at Source that saves the biggest waste management component of transport which also results in diesel fumes and air pollution. Others include Shredders, and Plastics Recycling machinery. further has capacity building and policy drive and ready for franchising.

This stops pollution and elevates human health and well-being through creation of decent jobs and livelihood assets.

Zero Waste targets to solve the Solid Waste Challenge in Kenya. None of the cities from the capital Nairobi to the coastal Mombasa and lakeside town of Kisumu has a sustainable solid waste plan. Apart being garbage everywhere being an eye-sore, it is an environmental hazard exposing people to environmental health issues. Open burning of waste results in dioxins and furans which has raised cases of cancer and the smoke and particulate matter resulting in upper respiratory diseases which are the most prevalent in Kenya.

The waste causes land, water and air pollution. Decomposition results in leachate which seeps into soils and water, burning brings air pollution while plastics litter the ground and end up in oceans. The waste problem is dire and this initiative helps in mitigation and we are using it in capacity building for poor youth and women in creation of decent jobs as advocated by ILO and SDG 12 on production and consumption. We are agitating for green economy, circular economy and attainment of the SDGs.

Zero Waste initiative elevates the campaign to the next level of urgency especially enactment of a national sustainable solid waste management act through parliament. It creates employment through innovations.

Zero Waste world focus is Community Waste Based Entreprises (CWBE) through cheap innovations and technologies that include movable shredders for organic and plastic waste. 

Capacity building on sustainable waste management at the local levels and adoption of the innovations is part of the sustainable solutions. And to ensure government support, I have orgaanised an advocacy campaign that has seen policy adoption in Mombasa and Nairobi and now included in the National Sustainable Solid Waste Mangement Bill currently in Parliament. This strategic action will see adoptin in all the 47 County Governments in the near future. 

Franchising is our final product as the youth and women may not have the capacity to run this as a viable business in the future. Franchising will help offer the necessary expertise and marketing as we plan to have uniform products well branded say the organic manure which will help in food production and security.

The project is partially implemented in Nairobi and Mombasa as pilots. The policy framework is in place having advocated for inclusion in the Nairobi SSWM Master-plan and the Mombasa Environmental By-laws. Thes documents further helped in advocy for inclusion in the National SSWM Act in the process. Immediately on enactment, we plan to roll-out a national franchise to benefit thousands of youth and women.

The project will stop waste pollution and improve the health of the people. This can be replicated elsewhere beyond Kenya.

Zero Waste World targets SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15. This will create Decent jobs as advocated by ILO, create livelihood assets for poor and marginalized youth and women working as waste pickers.  The project smoothly connects the waste, the environment the people and the solutions without leaving any gap. 

Envisaged policy bottle-necks have been handled and the problems of runnng the entrerprises will be sorted out through franchising the waste as an enterprise.This whole value chain strategy will ensure a seamless venture.

Kenya and the region suffers the garbage eye sore problem . This is a critical problem in all our cities, towns and urban centres. The problem is observable from a distance when you realize that a whole country doesn't have a single sanitary landfill. Garbage lies everywhere affecting human well-being and an eye sore even to tourists yet tourism is part of our backbone to the economy.

As a scientist and journalist, this has made me venture into innnovations coupled with advocacy with amazing results over time. With foresight the project is designed as an enterprise as previous endeavors to have individuals run the project have failed.

Waste is a big problem to health and well being of human and the planet yet well harnessed is a resource for prosperity. This has made me take several years on innovations and designing a workable value chain solution as the gap remains offering an opportunity.

Wide Experience, networks and requests from all over the world. As a scientist and journalist, I have also managed to loop in academia who have helped in knowledge development and documentation. Its now time for the last mile.

The inclusion in policies in the two big towns is a big plus and encouagement. Inclusion in the national SSWM bill will deliver the final kick.With this policy support, the rest becomes easy to handle.

Have worked on the project systematically for years winning awards like SEED and policy enactments. Now seeking final partnerships and financing for final acttion.

The project is part of Destiny Africa and Kenya Little League (KeLL) which are family initiatives.