A girl walking in between plastic wastes, and bottles at a collection center in Eastleigh a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya located east of the central business district predominantly inhabited by Somali immigrants, is also described as "Little Mogadishu”. It’s impossible to avoid plastic today, disposable plastics. Single-use plastics have brought great convenience to people around the world, they are used to package our food, hold the water we drink, and even used to make play kits for our cutie kids. But, they also make up a big part of the plastic waste that’s now choking our water bodies and the environment. Kenya is the only East African country that has come out with a clear law banning the use of plastic bags in a way to reduce the number of plastics within the country.
A bottle collector arranges bottles according to color for easy recycling at Kyambongo in Kampala
A reclaimed carrying loads of waste in Central Business Centre to Dandora recycling Landfill in Nairobi, Kenya.
Birds scavenge the waste at Dandora Landfill, Nairobi Kenya’s landfill on September 19, 2019.
Men weighing plastic for sale on 19th September 19, 2019, in Dandora landfill, which covers approximately 30 acres, is the destination of about 850 tonnes of solid waste generated daily by Nairobi, which has a population of about 6.5 million people. Despite being declared completely full in 1996, dumping continues in the landfill. One of the reasons that it continues to operate is that people make money from waste. Described as a “perilous recycling economy”, the landfill puts food on the tables of around 3,000 families. Men, women, and children pick through waste from trucks that arrive in the dump. They are looking for plastic, food, clothes, paper, and bottles that they can sell for much-needed income. Scavenging on the dump is done manually with no protective gear and equipment, thus exposing the dumpsite workers to serious health complications.
A train moves through trash at Kibera, Nairobi Kenya’s largest slum.
A woman walks through a heap of trash in Dandora Landfill, Nairobi Kenya’s largest dumpsite in Africa covering approximately 30 acres the destination of about 850 tonnes of solid waste generated daily by Nairobi, which has a population of about 6.5 million people on September 19, 2019.
A woman carrying her baby as she cleans plastic bags which are to nbe sold off to a factory that recycles them into home plastic utensils such as basins, plates and cups.
A woman passes on a bridge filled with plastic bags and bottles.
Awash waste plastics to be reused as raw material for making waterproof bags and accessories.
A boy hit by light near a house built by plastic bottles as an alternative to bricks
Hundreds of youths and students shout slogans and hold placards during a protest climate change in the streets of Nairobi.
A liitle boy burns plastic bags infront of their home in Gayaza.
Nnawuki Stella Lukwago, at "Our roots Agrica Uganda" ventured into making 100% biodegradable, composable and reusable drinking straws as a sustainable alternative for using plastic straws.
Mariam Nnakanwagi and her daughter pose for a portrait infront of their business. Nnakanwagi a single mother of four has managed to look after her children through earning from from selling plastics.
A goat eats polythene poorly disposed of by a vendor in Kampala
A Marab stock possing for a picture at Kiteezi Landfill on March 03. 2018. Mar4bstocks are some of the birds that pick trash and leave the cities clean without notice
A little boy plays in the garbage in Nsanbya, Kampala Uganda. The cabbage helps children doing gymnastics to practice and learn different skills because they cannot afford money for gyms
A pregnant woman walks through smoke from burning waste plastics in Kampala. The gasses from waste are dangerous to the health of people.
Sundown at Dandora Landfill in Nairobi, Kenya.
Hundreds of youths and students shout slogans and hold placards during a protest climate change in the streets of Nairobi.