Cradle to Cradle: A Transformative Movement Uniting Climate Action and Health Incentives

Nairobi- In gated communities in the city's middle class neighbourhoods residents are reworking the life cycle of everyday waste.

What began as grassroots neighbourhood clean ups and pilot recycling projects has matured into a practical, cradle to cradle approach; separating, repairing, composting and redesigning waste flows so material remain useful- not disposable.

Gated communities are collaborating through neighbourhood associations, to pursue sustainability in waste management.

The Metro Residents Alliance Association of Kenya (ANMRA) , a city wide initiative that seeks to enhance collaborations amongst residents in gated communities is championing circular economy.

In a post on X, Teddy Obiero an official of ANMRA spearheading the recycling infrastructure notes that residents have moved from awareness to action.

Segregation of waste at source for recycling

Waste management is a crisis across cities in the world. A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report warns that solid waste will surge unless circular solutions are embraced.

UNEPs Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 projects municipal waste to rise from 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023 to nearly 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050, and that a circular economy approach could turn a looming cost into a net economic gain.

UNEPs Executive Director Inger Anderson says cities need to decouple growth from waste, for the health of the planet.

Waste generation is intrinsically tied to GDP"

Inger Anderson

FROM SEGREGATION BINS TO LOCAL INDUSTRY

Further away in rural Kenya, in Kisii county residents are turning farm waste like banana trees into beautiful bags through women groups and earning an income.

Moraa explains how they turn farm waste into beautiful ornaments in Kisii

CRADLE TO CRADLE FOR CLIMATE AND HEALTH

The cradle to cradle model as opposed to the cradle to dump sites is inspired by natural systems where waste is an input for another process.

A resident in Kisii crushing waste from glass into powder to make cabro and pots

These are cradle to cradle building blocks: keeping materials circulating at their highest value, creating local jobs and reducing the methane and CO2 footprint of unmanaged refuse.

Finished product from glass waste

UNEP links poor waste handling to greenhouse emissions ( especially methane from organic waste) micro plastic pollution and local air and water contamination that undermine human health.

The report finds that better waste prevention and management could avoid billions of dollars in hidden costs from pollution, health burdens and climate damage.

A low income neighbourhood in Kenya's capital choking from poor waste management

UNEPs 2024 outlook stresses that municipal action must be matched by policy: incentivising product redesign, enforcing extended producer responsibility, financing local waste infrastructure, and protecting informal waste workers during transitions.

The report show that, adopting full circular economy measures could convert a projected multi hundred billion dollar cost into a new annual gain by 2050- an economic as well as environmental argument for action.

Women group displays handbags woven from farm waste.

Scaling cradle to cradle across Kenya, requires sustained behaviour change, affordable collection services for lower income neighbourhoods, secure markets for recycled materials and technical support for composting and small scale processors.

Every ton of waste diverted from landfills cuts methane emissions, every recycled material reduces demand for virgin resources; and every community that reimagines waste as wealth helps bend the curve on global warming.

Technology is Shaping the Fight for Climate Justice

The Urgency of Action

By Moraa Nyangorora

AI Generated Image of the digital rallies by movements from 93 countries to press for Climate Justice- End Genocide, Injustice, Fossil Fuels and Call for Rights, Jobs and Justice.

The Global Week of Action began on September 15, 2025, with an online rally. Activists and performers from various movements addressed the urgent need to mobilise for climate justice and systemic change.

Draw the Line – Global Week of Action

"We are part of a global movement rising together to say: enough is enough. From debt and poverty to fossil fuel tyranny, we are uniting across borders to resist more destruction and reclaim our future. This is a moment of reckoning. We are drawing the line for justice, for life, for the planet."

Tyrone Scott, Senior Movement Building and Activism Officer, War on Want

This call to action serves as a rallying cry.

It is supported by workers, youth, indigenous groups, and social movements.

A network of global climate organizations is convening this effort, including 350.org, CAN-International, APMDD, and War on Want. Local, regional, and global movements are joining forces.

"On the same day that this campaign launches, the climate clock will tick down to less than four years for the first time in history. We know the solutions. Most of the world is already taking action. Humanity has drawn the line."

Gan Golan, Co-Founder of the Climate Clock describing the digital urgency.

Nairobi Primary School Champions Clean Cooking

Stakeholders drawn from different organisations champion clean cooking in public schools in Nairobi

Why Clean Cooking Matters

Kenya, like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, faces persistent challenges from household air pollution, reliance on biomass (firewood, charcoal), and the health, environmental, social and gender inequalities that flow from these. Transitioning to clean cooking solutions is urgent: it promises health benefits (especially for women and children), reductions in deforestation and carbon emissions, and economic opportunity.

A pilot project by Verst Carbon is championing clean cooking at Nairobi Primary school. Brian Nyangena says it has seen improved health outcomes.

No child should have to study in an environment clouded by smoke from traditional kitchens. Clean cooking in schools brings dignity, health, and opportunity — and with the right partnerships, we can scale these solutions to every county in Kenya.

— Brian Nyangena, Verst Carbon

Pilot project of steam cooking at Nairobi Primary School reducing fuel costs by 80 pc,reducing air polution and improving health

Garissa high school is among schools that have embraced clean cooking in strategies to reduce emissions according to Verst Carbon report.