Kenya Breweries Targets 100% Bottle Recycling through Project Rudisha

James Kitavi, of Kiseki Limited, explains that the company collects bottles and glasses, converts them, and later sends them back to the brewery for reuse.

“We have designated our team who sensitise and make the collection process through Rudisha targets 250-ml bottles of various brands,” Kitavi says.

The programme, dubbed Project Rudisha, aims to run a sustainable used bottle collection model, shifting fully from one-way bottle packaging use to a returnable glass model.

“The process starts by removing the seal, then the bottle washing process to remove the glue; throughout the value chain, we ensure that the bottle is not cracked and it is original,” he adds.

The bottles that crack during handling are usually converted into glasses, vases, bulb holders, or ashtrays.

As the private sector continues to adopt and maintain a circular economy, Kenya Breweries Limited partnered with Kiseki Limited in a bid to collect, reuse, and recycle bottles sold to outlets.

“More to this, we are combating counterfeiters by denying them access to the original bottles. With Rudisha we are taking away the availability of the products to counterfeiters by targeting bars and homes."

KBL notes that in a month they receive 3.5 million bottles of Rudisha glass.

This approach focuses on being restorative and regenerative, delivering benefits to both society and the environment. It involves minimising waste models by promoting greater reuse and recycling of resources.

“We want to scale up to 4 million bottles in a month; this is a great opportunity for us to help manage our impact on the environment as we aim to achieve our sustainability agenda through using and reusing the same product,” says KBL's Marvin Ngugi.