RETRAK – 2nd Retail Summit 2026

OPINION PIECE

Why EPR Is No Longer Something Businesses Can Ignore

By PAKPRO Communications

For years, waste management in Kenya has largely been viewed as a government problem.

Counties collect waste. Communities deal with overflowing dumpsites. Informal waste pickers recover recyclables. Meanwhile, businesses continue producing and distributing increasing volumes of packaging into the market. But that model is no longer sustainable.

The introduction of the Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility) Regulations, 2024, represents one of the most important shifts in how Kenya approaches environmental accountability, production systems, and circular economic growth. And in our view, many organizations are still underestimating what this transition truly means.

EPR is often discussed as though it is simply another compliance requirement. Another reporting obligation. Another sustainability conversation delegated to CSR or ESG teams. Yet, it is much bigger than that.

EPR fundamentally changes the relationship between businesses and the products they introduce into the market. It challenges organizations to think beyond manufacturing and sales and begin taking responsibility for what happens after consumption.

That changes everything. It changes how packaging is designed. It changes how supply chains operate. It changes how businesses think about recovery, recycling, and material value. And increasingly, it changes how consumers perceive brands.

Globally, the shift toward circular economies is accelerating. Markets are moving away from the traditional “take-make-dispose” model and toward systems where materials are recovered, reused, and reintegrated into production cycles.

Kenya is now part of that global transition. The question is whether businesses are preparing quickly enough. Because this is not only about regulation. It is about competitiveness. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious. Investors are increasingly evaluating ESG performance. Global supply chains are tightening sustainability expectations. Younger generations are asking harder questions about packaging, waste, and environmental responsibility.

Businesses that ignore these signals risk finding themselves behind both regulators and markets. At the same time, PAKPRO believes EPR presents one of the greatest innovation opportunities for Kenyan industry. As participants in the 2nd Edition of the Retail Summit 2026, convened by RETRAK to explore the strategies, technologies, and partnerships shaping the future of retail transformation, scheduled on the 14th–15th May 2026 at the Sarit Centre, we see enormous potential of operational efficiency and growth across key pillars including sustainable packaging design, recovery infrastructure, recycling technology, circular manufacturing, waste-to-value solutions, green jobs, and traceability and sustainability data systems.

Waste itself is becoming an economic resource. And forward-looking organizations are beginning to understand that sustainability is no longer separate from business strategy. It is becoming central to resilience, reputation, and long-term growth.

The most exciting thing is that EPR also forces collaboration. No single actor can solve the waste challenge alone both locally and regionally. Producers, retailers, recyclers, producer responsibility organizations(PRO), the government, policymakers, waste collectors, consumers, and sustainability organizations all have a role to play in building functioning circular systems.

That collaboration may ultimately become one of the biggest long-term outcomes of the EPR transition. Of course, implementation will not be perfect. There will be operational challenges, cost concerns, policy debates, and adjustment periods across industries.

But the direction of travel is clear. Environmental accountability is becoming embedded into how economies function. And organizations that begin adapting early will likely gain far more than compliance. They will gain trust, relevance and will help shape the future of sustainable production in Kenya.

The reality is this: EPR is no longer something businesses can afford to observe from the sidelines. It is becoming part of the future operating environment itself.

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About Packaging Producer Responsibility Organisation (PAKPRO)

 PAKPRO is a not-for-profit, business-member organisation that offers extended producer responsibility solutions for hazardous and non-hazardous packaging materials in Kenya. This covers a range of material recovery including hazardous and non-hazardous packaging made from PET plastics, all Rigid and Flexible plastics, Liquid Board Packaging, Glass, Paper, Cardboard, General Aluminium, Tin, Steel, and Composites. Our business model focuses on creating value across all the value chains and for all our stakeholders.

More information about PAKPRO is available at www.pakpro.co.ke

For enquiries contact: info@pakpro.co.ke