Optimising waste recycling in Kenya with TakaTaka Solutions

Active throughout the chain

The Kenyan company TakaTaka Solutions has been active since 2011 in the collection, sorting and recycling of household and industrial waste. Founder and CEO Daniel Paffenholz grew up in Kenya: 'Waste processing on the African continent often does not go further than collecting, dumping and incinerating waste. There is some recycling, but mainly of materials that are easy to process, such as hard plastics.

‘We focus on hard-to-recycle materials, such as flexible single-use plastics. TakaTaka Solutions is the only company in East Africa that is integrated throughout the entire value chain: we collect waste, sort it into more than forty types, recycle materials, and compost organic material.' 

Climate and social goals

The positive impact of TakaTaka Solutions on the environment has several dimensions, says Daniel Paffenholz: 'We recycle 90 percent of the waste – that is more than most European waste processors. In this way we ensure the reduction of CO2 emissions because less new material is produced. Furthermore, the compost we make from waste is a sustainable source that replaces the production of fertilisers.'

In addition to environmental impact, TakaTaka Solutions also contributes to social goals. The company has created jobs for about seven hundred people at the moment – that will be a thousand by the end of the year. 'Half of them are women,' says Daniel Paffenholz, 'in a sector where that is not common. And we consciously offer them responsibilities that take them further, such as training as a forklift truck driver. We not only provide an income to the waste pickers who collect part of the waste for us, but we also provide protective clothing, health checks and childcare.' 

Strategy position at scale-up

Florence ter Haar, associate at PwC Strategy&, sought to gain experience abroad, preferably in the innovative hubs of Africa and in the field of her study Sustainable Business. With support from PwC NL Corporate Sustainability, she found the strategy position at TakaTaka Solutions.

Florence ter Haar: 'I've been here for two months now and it's an incredible experience. The cultural difference is really interesting – people are less direct and will not directly express themselves if they don't understand something. Furthermore, the difference between PwC Strategy& and a scale-up like TakaTaka is very enlightening. I manage teams, work one-on-one with the CEO and if I observe optimisation opportunities, I design a plan and roll it out a few weeks later. It is also super cool to contribute to what this company does – in terms of business operations, environmental impact, and social responsibility.' 

Data management and bonus system

What kind of projects is Florence ter Haar involved in? 'I work with the data team to optimise data management. How do we register which material is received and processed? This is important for the insight into our own operation, but also necessary to be able to participate in Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction Program, in which plastic credits can be earned. Another project that I lead here is the implementation of a bonus system for managers to enable them to contribute to the organisational goals with targets. The cool thing about these projects is that I learn about all aspects of the operation of waste processing, for example inventory flows, different recycling techniques and various waste fractions.'

Plastic credits

Daniel Paffenholz is pleased that Florence ter Haar is there to set up these projects. 'Those plastic credits can become an important source of income for us. One of the things we learned in Florence's process is that we are going to professionalise our data management approach from Google Sheets towards a professional data management system. We have just started with the bonus program, but we are already observing the first positive results. With targeted communication we can optimise the connection between the amount of waste arriving and the processing capacity.'

A new step

Florence ter Haar can use her experiences gained in Kenya further in her career: 'I manage a team here, make work plans with them and review their work. That is a new step for me. I also learn a lot about the waste sector, and I gained insights into daily operations, which is useful. Strategy work takes often place on an abstract management level, but it is good to understand what is practically required to implement plans.'

Speaking of plans – Daniel Paffenholz wants to grow significantly with TakaTaka Solutions. This year several new locations are planned in the city of Mombasa and in Uganda. 'I hope to find a second Strategy Extern in the coming months that can work alongside Florence.’