Deposit Return Scheme

Plastic waste in the Kenya is on the rise by a fifth by 2030. We need to be tackling the problem on all fronts by reducing, reusing and recycling. That means introducing a standard approach to recycling. Ecosustainability Hub Consultants can design a deposit return system that will work well for everyone in Kenya, providing increased recycling rates and quality of recycling, reductions in littering and business opportunities. We utilize a wide range of views as possible to help us design an effective system. By incentivizing their return to a designated collection point, the scheme ensures that containers are properly recycled, becoming a high value resource rather than being lost through landfill or littering. Deposit return offers the chance to embed a step change in recycling performance. Other systems in Europe are achieving capture rates of up to 95% for target materials compared with around less than 5% in Kenya at present. Furthermore, plastic and metal in particular are very valuable materials. This value is reduced through ‘contamination’, in other words by being mixed in with other materials of lower value. Deposit return schemes offer a good opportunity to minimize contamination and maximize the value of the collected material. This is because items will be returned to a separate, not comingled system and will only be accepted into the system if they are the right kind of material.

The return deposit scheme is intended to cut the litter polluting the land and sea by returning a small cash sum to consumers who return their bottles and cans.

The products being considered in particular are:

1. Ready to drink (soft)-All non-alcoholic drinks (still and carbonated) that are ready for the consumer to drink. Includes sports drinks, energy drinks and health drinks.
2. Soft Mixer Products -All products that are mixed with a soft drink (still or carbonated) to make a drink. Includes diluting, cordial, concentrate and syrup products.
3. Bottled water-All still and carbonated water and flavoured waters that are sold in a drink container.
4. Fruit and vegetable juice-All ready to drink fruit and vegetable juice and juice drinks. Also includes fruit and vegetable based smoothies.
5. Dairy-All ready to drink milk and other dairy (fresh and long life), including all dairy alternatives. Includes milkshakes, flavoured milks, milk based smoothies and ready to drink coffee drinks. Also includes ready to drink yogurt and probiotic yogurt drinks.
6. All distilled spirits with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of higher than 30%
7. All fermented alcohol products including beer, cider and wine. Also includes non-alcoholic versions of the above.
8. All other alcohol not covered in the “distilled spirits” and “fermented alcohol” categories with a ABV less than 30%. Includes fortified wines, liqueurs and mixer products where spirits, wine or other fermented products have been mixed with a soft drink.
9. All other drinks, not listed above, that can be purchased to drink on the go. Includes all hot drinks such as tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and all other drinks sold ‘on the go’, for example at fast food outlets this could include some of the products mentioned above but sold, for instance, in a disposable cup.