Amitruck, a tech start-up, and waste management solutions provider Sanergy, have announced a partnership to work on waste management in Nairobi City.
The two companies have built a value chain network of operations and efficient logistics that will collect, treat and convert two streams of waste. These are sanitation waste generated in low-income informal settlements with inadequate sanitation services and kitchen and agricultural waste from restaurants, market places and agricultural pack houses.
The partnership has also created more jobs in the economy with Sanergy having created more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs. Amitruck hired more than 5,000 drivers over two years due to innovative digital models.
Speaking while making the partnership announcement, Sanergy Managing Director, Michael Lwoyelo said, “We are excited to be pioneering a sustainable waste management solution that will benefit the people, economy and restores our ecosystem. Our next big goal is to expand here in Nairobi, and then replicate our model across the country and in Africa.”
Sanergy gets rid of more than 12,000 tons of waste every year and upcycles it into end-products such as organic fertilizer, insect-based protein for animal feed and biomass briquettes used as clean fuel.
This circular economy solution addresses multiple challenges. These challenges include environmental pollution by sanitation waste that is improperly disposed off, low agricultural yields and increasing greenhouse gas emissions from open dumping of waste.
Mark Mwangi, Amitruck CEO commented, “With more than 5,000 drivers, we are proud to be partnering with Sanergy and its community to enable a circular economy benefiting the environment, health, people and greener cities. Due to its innovative digital marketplace, Amitruck accelerates the transition to more sustainable logistics, allowing existing fleets of vehicles to be used a lot more efficiently for positive impact.”
Sanergy and Amitruck believe that scaling and replicating the closed loop circular economy approach in other cities in Kenya and beyond is key to strengthen fragile systems. These are waste management, production of agriculture inputs and to build resilient cities where residents are healthy and prosperous.
Generating more than 80% of the world’s GDP, cities are major drivers of economic growth. As urbanization and waste production increases, these cities are faced with the challenge of how to manage their waste effectively.