Kenya is undergoing a pivotal shift in its waste management landscape as the country adopts mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to curb plastic pollution and transition toward a circular economy. While EPR places financial and operational responsibility for post-consumer waste on producers, the system’s success depends on recognising the indispensable role of waste pickers. These workers, who recover a large share of Kenya’s recyclable materials under difficult and informal conditions, remain largely invisible in policy frameworks despite being central to waste recovery. Without deliberate inclusion, EPR could unintentionally exclude them, restrict their access to recyclables, and destabilise recycling value chains that currently rely heavily on their labour. 

Waste pickers in Kenya contribute significantly to recycling efficiency by collecting, sorting, and supplying plastics, glass, and paper to value chains that support both local livelihoods and environmental protection. Globally, informal waste pickers account for up to 58% of all post-consumer plastic recovery, a statistic reflected in Kenya’s own dependency on this labour force. Yet these workers face unsafe conditions, social stigmatisation, and economic vulnerabilities. If EPR is designed without their participation, it risks introducing centralised waste management systems, private sector monopolies, or incineration technologies that cut off their primary source of income. On the other hand, an inclusive EPR model presents a chance to formalise their contributions, improve working conditions, and create more equitable recycling systems.

The document highlights global lessons, especially from Brazil, where legislation mandates the integration of waste picker cooperatives into formal recycling schemes. Such models demonstrate that when producers invest in waste pickers through training, equipment, infrastructure access, and fair purchasing arrangements, recycling systems become more resilient and recovery rates increase. Kenya can adopt similar strategies by ensuring waste pickers have guaranteed access to materials, fair compensation mechanisms such as price floors, and opportunities to organise into cooperatives that enhance their bargaining power. Additionally, counties should take the lead in establishing Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), passing inclusive by-laws, providing protective equipment, and developing financing tools that reward and stabilise the informal sector’s contributions.

Ultimately, integrating waste pickers into Kenya’s EPR systems is not just a technical necessity; it is a matter of social justice, environmental sustainability, and economic efficiency. Counties must adopt ongoing monitoring and learning frameworks to ensure long-term inclusion, transparency, and adaptability as EPR evolves. By embedding waste pickers into the heart of Kenya’s circular economy transition, the country can strengthen recycling systems, protect livelihoods, and set an inspiring precedent for socially inclusive environmental policy across the Global South. Inclusive EPR will allow Kenya to build a waste management system that is equitable, resilient, and truly aligned with the principles of a circular future