Kenya unveils National Plastics Action Partnership to power green growth

The agreement establishes the Kenya National Plastics Action Partnership (NPAP Kenya), a nationally owned, multi-stakeholder platform designed to accelerate the country’s transition toward a circular plastics economy and advance its green industrialization agenda.

NPAP Kenya brings together government agencies, private sector leaders, civil society organisations, academic institutions, innovators, and development partners within a coordinated national framework. Its mandate is to tackle plastic pollution while unlocking inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

The initiative builds on Kenya’s longstanding environmental leadership, including its pioneering ban on plastic bags and its contributions to advancing the East African Community Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Bill.

These efforts have promoted regional regulatory alignment and created greater certainty for businesses seeking to scale circular manufacturing, recycling, and materials-recovery solutions across East Africa.

The partnership directly supports Kenya’s Green Industrialisation Strategy by mobilising investment, fostering innovation in sustainable materials, and strengthening circular manufacturing and recycling value chains nationwide.

NPAP Kenya will also serve as a strategic instrument of economic diplomacy, enhancing alignment with emerging global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, positioning Kenyan enterprises within expanding green value chains, and reinforcing the country’s leadership in key international environmental negotiations, including the UN Global Plastics Treaty (INC process) and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).

Through GPAP’s global network, Kenya joins a growing coalition of countries implementing national plastic action platforms across Africa and the Global South, including Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Senegal, Gabon, Angola, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, and India.

This collaboration strengthens Kenya’s position as a regional hub for circular-economy innovation, sustainable materials manufacturing, and community-centred waste management systems.

The Ministry expressed its appreciation to Clémence Reboul Schmid, Director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership at the World Economic Forum, for her leadership in advancing GPAP globally and supporting Kenya’s engagement in the initiative.

The establishment of NPAP Kenya marks a major milestone in the country’s pursuit of a circular plastics future, strengthening national coordination, unlocking investment for sustainable industries, expanding green job opportunities, and elevating Kenya’s leadership in regional and global environmental diplomacy.