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Marine Plastic Pollution: Turning the Tide Business Forum 11th Our Ocean Conference · Mombasa, Kenya, 14th –18th June 2026
A Message from Joyce Gachugi-Waweru, CEO, PAKPRO
The Indian Ocean does not recognize borders. A bottle discarded on the streets of Nairobi, and one dropped at the port of Mombasa will both find their way to the same sea – carried by the same rivers, the same runoff, the same indifference. Marine plastic pollution is, by its very nature, a transboundary crisis: currents do not stop at coastlines, and the consequences of poor waste management in one country are borne by the fisheries, ecosystems, and coastal communities of many others.
Kenya alone generates 2,400 tonnes of plastic waste every day. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the policy framework designed to interrupt that pipeline before it reaches the water. By placing legal and financial obligation on the producers of plastic packaging – not on the communities left to manage it – EPR funds the recovery infrastructure that a circular economy requires and directs resources directly into the hands of the Kenyans collecting, sorting, and recycling that packaging every single day.
But policy architecture alone is not enough. EPR only delivers its full potential when the communities on the frontline are recognized as architects of the circular economy, not simply as its casualties. The women sorting waste at collection points in Mtwapa, the youth cooperatives running balers in Kilifi, the fisher communities protecting seagrass beds in Lamu – they are not waiting to be saved. They are already leading.
That is the case PAKPRO and WWF-Kenya are bringing to the 11th Our Ocean Conference, one of the most consequential global forums for ocean governance and marine environmental commitments. Through the Marine Plastic Pollution: Turning the Tide Business Forum, we are participating in precisely the kind of multilateral space where transboundary challenges demand transboundary solutions. It is where governments, the private sector, civil society, and ocean advocates sit in the same room and are held to account for the pledges they make.
At OOC11, we are not arriving with promises. We are presenting proof and extending a clear invitation to the world to invest in the people who have already begun the work.
#Recycle4Growth
About the 11th Our Ocean Conference
The Our Ocean Conference is the world’s foremost gathering on ocean protection, convening heads of state, ministers, development finance institutions, conservation leaders, and the private sector to make concrete, witnessed, and measurable commitments to the health of the global ocean. First held in 2014, the Conference has mobilized over USD 100 billion in ocean commitments across its ten preceding editions, making it the single most consequential platform for translating ocean ambition into ocean action.
OOC11 takes place in Mombasa, Kenya in June 2026, this is the first time the conference has been held on the African continent placing Kenya’s coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and emerging circular economy at the centre of the global ocean governance agenda. For Kenya, OOC11 is not simply a hosting honour. It is an opportunity to showcase to the world a circular economy model that is built by Africans for Africa, community-built, industry-funded, and ready to scale.
Who We Are – PAKPRO at a Glance
PAKPRO is Kenya’s leading Packaging Producer Responsibility Organisation, incorporated in 2018 and operating under the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 and the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations 2024. With over 400 member companies, PAKPRO manages the recovery of all post-consumer packaging in Kenya — connecting producers to aggregators, recyclers, and coastal communities through a system that generates livelihoods, not just compliance.
Since inception, PAKPRO has recovered 54,000 metric tonnes of PET, distributed KES 210 million to waste actors across Kenya, activated 300+ aggregators trading with 6,000+ waste pickers, and built a recovery network spanning all 47 counties. At OOC11, this track record becomes Kenya’s contribution to the global ocean conversation.
The Forum – Marine Plastic Pollution: Turning the Tide
PAKPRO is hosting one side event at OOC11 – the Marine Plastic Pollution: Turning the Tide Business Forum – convened under the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs on the 16 June 2026 at PrideInn Hotel, Mombasa. The Forum is a single, structured programme comprising a thematic session that examines the full circular economy response to marine plastic pollution around community livelihoods and blue economy financing. More information here: Official OOC11 Side Events – Our Ocean Kenya
| Day | Theme | Lead |
| 16 June 2026 | Circular Livelihoods: Communities as Circular Economy Owners | PAKPRO & WWF-Kenya |
The Forum deliberately traces actions from upstream obligations – what producers must do – through community evidence and technology solutions, to the financing architecture needed to sustain it all.
Partners at OOC11
The organisations standing with PAKPRO at the Turning the Tide Business Forum represent every critical point in Kenya’s packaging and recovery value chain.
Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs – the national convening authority whose endorsement positions the Forum as Kenya’s official contribution to OOC11’s ocean governance agenda.
WWF-Kenya – the leading conservation body whose decade of community-strengthening work across Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu counties provides the evidence base and community relationships that anchor Session 2 of the Forum.
Naivas – Kenya’s most trusted and most visited retail network, whose shelf presence makes post-consumer packaging recovery a daily reality for millions of Kenyan consumers.
Well Shed Group Limited (Grange Park) – Wellshed Group Limited is a proudly Kenyan brand pioneering the production and distribution of functional hydration products under the brand name Grange Park. Our vision is clear: To Be East Africa’s leading carbon-conscious and circular-economy hydration company by 2030. As the Official Hydration Partner of the PAKPRO Marine Plastic Pollution Side Event and Exhibition Pavilion, we are proud to support Kenya’s leadership in advancing circular economy solutions, responsible production, and environmental stewardship.
Gold Crown Beverages – a significant Kenyan beverage producer whose PAKPRO membership demonstrates that high-volume packaging operations and responsible recovery are entirely compatible.
Coastal Bottlers – one of Kenya’s most important coastal beverage producers, whose participation in this Forum connects production directly to the ocean environment it has a responsibility to protect.
Dormans – a brand synonymous with Kenyan quality across hospitality and retail, demonstrating that sustainability credentials enhance rather than constrain commercial excellence.
County Government of Mombasa – the county authority with direct governance over coastal waste infrastructure, signaling that the Turning the Tide Business Forum is not a civil society initiative awaiting government buy-in. It is a government priority awaiting the right investment partners.
Partner Innovation Highlights
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.
#EPRinKenya #CircularEconomy #SustainabilityinAction #WasteManagement #SustainableBusiness #PostConsumerPackaging #Recycling #EnvironmentalLeadership
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
JOIN US FOR THE PAKPRO VIRTUAL AGM 3.0
You’re warmly invited to our Virtual Annual General Meeting 2024 on 13th March 2026! A chance to reconnect, reflect on our collective impact in sustainable waste management and align on the road ahead for a cleaner, circular Kenya.
From EPR compliance wins to higher recovery rates and stronger circular partnerships, let’s celebrate achievements and discuss the next chapter for responsible packaging in Kenya.
Please access the AGM Notice here: PAKPRO 3.0 AGM NOTICE
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE EPR IMPORTERS WEBINAR ON 24TH FEBRUARY 2026!
The regulatory framework for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Plastic Packaging Materials (PPM) in Kenya is undergoing significant transformation. Importers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), clearing agents, and distributors are now facing new compliance requirements that directly affect import clearance processes, day-to-day operations, and overall cost structures.
In response, PAKPRO, in collaboration with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), the Association of Startup and SME Enablers of Kenya (ASSEK), Shippers Council of East Africa, Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA), Fertilizer Association of Kenya, and Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC), hereby extends a formal invitation for you to participate in the PAKPRO EPR Webinar Series: Strengthening Compliance Through Targeted Industry Education.
Don’t Miss Out On The Next Series of Upcoming Webinars!
Scroll below to Register.
3rd March 2026: (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EAT):
Q&A: Import Clearance Fees, EPR & PPM Regulations
10th March 2026: (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EAT)
Plastic Packaging Clearance Obligations & the Role of Producer Responsibility Organization
17th March 2026: (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EAT)
Can Your Compliance Status Be Revoked? Maintaining Regulatory Compliance
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COLLABORATION.
Step-by-Step Guides to join PAKPRO
Packaging Producer Responsibility Organisation (PAKPRO) is Kenya’s Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for packaging under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
PAKPRO “Know Your Resource: Recycling Tour”
Building Transparency. Strengthening Circularity. Empowering Members.
Know Your Resource: See Where Circularity Begins
An immersive annual program that takes PAKPRO members behind the scenes of Kenya’s recycling ecosystem-bringing product stewardship, sustainability, and circularity to life.
🔎 About the Program
Understand the full journey of your products.
As part of our mission to advance sustainable production and consumption, PAKPRO created the Know Your Resource program an experiential learning series designed to enhance member capacity and encourage responsible product life-cycle management and championing circularity.
This initiative gives members a rare opportunity to witness how materials are collected, processed, and transformed across Kenya’s circular economy.
Program Objectives
📞 Call to Action
Ready to experience the circular economy in action?
Email: membership@pakpro.co.ke