Turning plastic waste into opportunity

Millions of tonnes of plastic waste continue to pollute oceans, waterways and communities every year, posing a growing threat to marine ecosystems and livelihoods.

In Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, where plastic pollution remains a persistent environmental challenge, Lawrence Kosgei, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Twende Green Ecocycle, saw an opportunity to turn waste into a valuable resource.

Today, he is transforming discarded plastic into durable, eco-friendly furniture, giving new life to waste while creating products for schools, offices, hotels and other institutions.

Founded in 2023, the Mombasa-based social enterprise began as a simple idea to address the growing plastic waste crisis while creating practical products that communities need.

“We are a social enterprise that turns plastic waste into affordable, durable, eco-friendly furniture,” says Kosgei. “We are solving the problem of marine plastic pollution.”

Turning that idea into a viable business proved challenging.

Kosgei says access to capital was the biggest obstacle during the early stages. Building a recycling enterprise required significant investment in machinery and equipment that the young company simply could not afford.

“We started with just an idea in 2023,” he says. “It took us about a year before we were able to acquire our press moulding machinery and begin producing furniture.”

The enterprise collects plastic waste from informal settlements, individual waste pickers, community-based organisations and waste collection companies. The plastic is sorted, cleaned and processed before being transformed into durable furniture.

Initially, the company focused on school furniture, with every desk removing about 13 kilograms of plastic waste from the environment while providing children with a safer and more comfortable place to learn.

In 2025, Twende Green Ecocycle expanded into tables, office furniture and hotel furniture, demonstrating the versatility of recycled plastic.

Winning over customers proved to be another hurdle.

“Many people still preferred conventional wooden furniture,” Kosgei says. “We had to invest heavily in creating awareness because we were among the pioneers introducing this kind of eco-friendly furniture.”

Those efforts are paying off. While the enterprise has expanded into commercial furniture, school furniture remains its flagship product.

Twende Green Ecocycle has distributed more than 2,000 pieces of school furniture in Mombasa County alone and has also supplied schools in the Rift Valley and northern Kenya through partnerships with other organisations.

The enterprise has created 12 direct jobs while providing a reliable source of income for about 20 waste pickers who collect and supply plastic for recycling.

Beyond manufacturing, the company runs an Eco-Ambassador Programme in partner schools, equipping learners with knowledge on responsible waste management and recycling.

It also participates in community beach clean-ups alongside county officials, scouts, youth groups and fellow social enterprises to prevent plastic waste from reaching the ocean.

A major milestone came when Kosgei discovered the Young Innovators Challenge, an initiative implemented by the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) in partnership with the I&M Foundation to support youth-led environmental innovations.

After applying online, submitting supporting documents and pitching the business before a panel in Nairobi, Twende Green Ecocycle was selected among the seven winners of the 2026 challenge, with each enterprise receiving KSh5 million in funding, mentorship and business development support.

Kosgei says the funding will help the company invest in additional machinery, strengthen its operations and increase production capacity, while the mentorship will support its long-term growth.

Looking ahead, his ambition extends beyond Kenya.

“Plastic pollution is not just a Kenyan problem; it is an African challenge,” he says.

“We want to expand our impact across the continent by proving that waste can be transformed into products that protect the environment, create jobs and improve lives.”

For Kosgei, every piece of furniture produced represents more than recycled plastic. It is proof that environmental challenges can be transformed into opportunities that create jobs, improve education and build a more sustainable future.