World Environment Day 2025 themed #BeatPlasticPollution spotlights plastic waste as one of today’s most urgent but solvable environmental challenges. Only about 9% of the world’s plastic is recycled today, with roughly half sent to landfills and much of the rest are “mismanaged” in ways that threaten human health and wildlife.

AECF’s mission of building resilient rural communities and reducing poverty through innovation aligns closely with this goal. By supporting entrepreneurs in agriculture, clean energy and waste-management, AECF helps put Africa on the path to a circular economy – the very vision encouraged by the World Environment Day campaign. This year’s focus on plastics resonates with our work in enabling new business models that reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Africa faces acute challenges from inadequate waste collection and recycling. On average only 55% of municipal waste is collected in African cities, and an astonishing 90% of collected garbage still ends up in uncontrolled dumps or open landfills. By composition, roughly 13% of municipal waste in Africa is plastic and 57% organic. Although most of this waste is technically recyclable (70–80%), only about 4% is actually recycled; roughly half of all waste remains uncollected and is dumped on streets or in waterways. This means plastic often enters soils, rivers and even the food chain – contributing to the finding that Africa is now considered one of the planet’s most polluted continent. In practical terms, many low- income African communities (especially in peri-urban and refugee settlements) live amid overflowing landfills and plastic-strewn landscapes. Women, children and informal waste pickers are disproportionately affected by the health risks (e.g. waterborne diseases, toxic exposure) from plastic pollution. These factors underscore why “beat plastic pollution” is not just a slogan but a vital call to action in African context. 

One standout example of AECF’s support for environmental innovation is Taka Taka Solutions, a social enterprise operating in Kakuma and Kalobeyei, Kenya. With AECF’s financial and technical support, the company has established a plastic waste buyback centre that has recovered over 107.5 tonnes of plastic and other waste, significantly reducing landfill pressure in the refugee-hosting region.

Over the past two years, Taka Taka has mobilized over 200 local youth—many from the refugee and host communities—to collect, sort, and process plastic waste across Kakuma and surrounding towns. Through partnerships with 10 local community-based organizations (CBOs) and the training of more than 318 waste pickers, the initiative is helping to formalize and dignify informal waste work, while advancing a circular economy model. The enterprise also prioritizes occupational safety, providing personal protective equipment (PPEs) to its waste collectors. The sorted waste is turned into recycled products, generating income for women and youth and reducing disease risks associated with uncollected trash. Despite challenges such as poor road infrastructure and limited water access for cleaning plastics, the initiative has become a model for green innovation in informal settlements, inspiring replication in other parts of northern Kenya.

As the co-founder of Taka Taka Solutions puts it, “the project demonstrates how waste management can be both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.” 

This and other AECF-supported ventures demonstrate clear impacts: jobs created, tons of plastic recovered, and public health benefits. For example, through partnerships with ten community groups Taka Taka has trained hundreds of waste pickers in safe recycling practices, and the Kakuma initiative alone has collected 107 tonnes of plastic, improving camp sanitation. Such examples show how AECF’s seed funding and technical assistance can help frontier businesses scale up solutions where commercial financing is scarce. 

Despite these successes, large funding and policy gaps remain in Africa’s plastic-waste sector. A World Bank study estimated a $40 billion global funding gap by 2040 for municipal plastic collection and recycling – a shortfall that Africa shares in disproportionately. Public budgets for waste infrastructure are weak, and many governments lack clear regulations or enforcement for plastics management. For example, while Kenya and Rwanda have among the world’s strictest bans on single-use plastic bags, enforcement is uneven and national waste services are underfunded. Institutional challenges – from limited technical capacity to inadequate legislation – further hamper large-scale progress. In sum, African entrepreneurs often work against a backdrop of low investment, high risk and unclear policy support. Bridging these gaps will require not only more capital – from impact investors and development funds – but also stronger national commitments such as extended producer responsibility laws and support for recycling businesses. 

World Environment Day 2025 reminds us that beating plastic pollution is a collective task. We must embrace the 5Rs – refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink plastics use. This means individuals refusing single-use items, communities improving waste segregation, and companies designing products for recyclability. Crucially, governments must reinforce successful policies (as seen in Kenya’s heavy fines for plastic-bag use or Rwanda’s outright ban) and invest in waste management infrastructure. Meanwhile, funds like AECF will continue closing the finance gap by backing small- and medium-sized enterprises with green solutions. 

Environment Day’s message is actionable: each of us can help turn waste into wealth. By supporting ventures like Taka Taka, advocating for circular-economy policies, and changing our own consumption habits, we embody the #BeatPlasticPollution ethos. AECF remains committed to this journey – because healthy, resilient African communities depend on a clean environment. Together, aligned with this year’s World Environment Day theme, we can transform the plastic crisis into sustainable opportunity.