Africa’s plastic waste challenge is being transformed into opportunity by visionary entrepreneurs who turn discarded materials into sustainable products.
These founders are creating circular economies, generating jobs, and providing practical solutions for communities across the continent.
Here are top 5 entrepreneurs in plastic recycling:
— Nzambi Matee (Kenya): Founder of Gjenge Makers: Matee recycles plastic waste into strong, durable building bricks, offering affordable construction materials while reducing environmental pollution.
— Lorna Rutto (Kenya): Founder of EcoPost: Rutto converts plastic waste into eco-friendly fencing posts and building products, creating employment opportunities and advancing sustainable recycling practices.
— Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola (Nigeria): Co-founder of Wecyclers: Adebiyi-Abiola established a waste management company that rewards communities for recycling, promoting organized collection and reuse of plastics in Lagos.
— Kieran Smith (Kenya): CEO of Mr Green Africa: Smith leads efforts to collect and process plastic waste into reusable feedstock for manufacturing, supporting a circular economy model.
— Raphael Basemi (Kenya): Founder of FRADI: Basemi runs a community-led recycling enterprise in Kakuma refugee camp, converting plastic waste into valuable products while creating livelihoods for refugees and host communities.
These entrepreneurs show how ingenuity and purpose-driven leadership can turn a pressing environmental issue into sustainable economic solutions. Their initiatives are reducing plastic pollution while fostering community development across Africa.
The entrepreneurs were chosen for their direct involvement in founding and scaling plastic recycling ventures in Africa. Selection focused on measurable impact, leadership in operations, innovation in recycling techniques, and the extent to which their solutions address local waste challenges.
Information was drawn from industry reports, company profiles, and verified media coverage as of September 2025.
Image Credit: Aljazeera
