ETCO PARTICIPATES IN THE 2024 ANNUAL CIRCULAR PACKAGING CONFERENCE
The Loresho air smelled of cut grass and diesel from the road outside Shamba Events — the kind of Nairobi morning where you button your jacket and still hope for tea. On 22 October 2024, day one of the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organisation (KEPRO) Annual Circular Packaging Conference, ETCO stepped into a room where packaging was not just “waste” but a design problem the whole country is trying to solve.
The theme hung over every session: Advancing Circularity — Innovating for Sustainable Packaging Solutions. Between panels, people leaned across aisles swapping cards and honest frustrations: thin films that choke recyclers, labels that confuse sorting lines, policies racing behind reality. It is easy to feel small in that conversation; it is also where community organisations belong, because we see the end of the pipe every day.
Day two, 23 October, stretched the learning beyond PowerPoint. KEPRO organised a Circular Tour for stakeholders along the value chain — aggregators, recyclers, and a stop at the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI). Watching material move from pile to process makes the jargon evaporate. You stop talking about “circularity” in the abstract and start asking practical questions: who collects, who pays, who gets hurt when the system fails?
We left with notebooks fuller than our pockets — and with a clearer line between conference optimism and the muddy work back in Kibera. If you work in packaging or logistics and want to connect what you design with what we handle on the ground, reach out. The best ideas die without honest feedback from neighbourhoods like ours.
Day 1 Unclogging
Day 1. Today, ETCO in collaboration with the Nairobi Rivers Commission, Phase 3 and Canaan Estate Management, commenced efforts to address the long-standing drainage blockage at the Phase 3 Market Stalls. While this intervention provides a short-term solution to the recurring blockage that frequently causes flooding and related challenges in both Phase 3 and Canaan Estate, as well as inconveniences road users accessing Kibera through Nyayo Highrise Ward via Kibera Access Road, we strongly urge the management of both estates to establish a regular maintenance schedule for the culverts to prevent future clogging. With the anticipated El Niño rains, proactive preparedness is essential to minimize the risk of further property damage, flooding, stormwater-related impacts, and potential loss of life. These ongoing efforts form part of our commitment to protecting the environment, improving drainage systems, and ensuring that rivers and waterways flow freely without obstruction.
Day of an African Child (DAC) - Planning Meeting
Kibera Gender Advocacy Network (KGAN) Meeting at Umande Trust Office to plan for the Day Of an African Child (DAC) on the 16TH June 2026. ETCO is a member organization.
Ngong River Regeneration Network - Zone (1-6)
The Ngong River Regeneration Network Zone Coordinators (Zones 1–6) held a productive meeting with the Commissioners representing the Ngong River, chaired by Commissioner Benjamin Langwen, alongside Commissioners John Kioli and Dr. Loice Jepkemboi Kipkiror, together with Inspector Ashford - NRC Secretariat. The meeting was highly engaging and inspiring, leaving us even more energized and committed to advancing the river restoration agenda. Together, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to not only regenerating our rivers, but also promoting a cleaner environment, encouraging food production through downstream farming, and creating sustainable job opportunities through riverine activities. #NgongRiverRestoration #NairobiRivers #EnvironmentalConservation #RiverRegeneration #ClimateAction #CommunityEmpowerment #GreenJobs