176 ANNE M. KARANJA, MOSES M. IKIARA, THEO C. DAVIES
8.9. INORGANIC WASTE RECYCLING:THEUPPERENDOFTHECHAIN
Waste reprocessing in Nairobi is mainly carried out in large companies. The exception
is scrap metal, which is also reprocessed by small-scale enterprises, at the jua kali
level. This is central in assessing the importance of waste recovery, reuse and recy-
cling to aspects of sustainable development. Through the buyers, we identified the
most marketable materials, viz. paper, scrap iron, plastics and whole bottles, in that
order of importance. Four large-scale companies were interviewed concerning their
trade and recycling activities. These were Chandaria (which includes Madhupaper),
Central Glass Industries (CGI), Roll Mill and Skyplast. Further information on
large-scale reprocessing of paper and glass was also obtained from Chandaria and
CGI through their representatives attending the EU SWM project stakeholder work-
shop. In the rest of the discussion we shall use paper and glass (well established
large-scale recycling) and scrap metal (small-scale recycling) to access the contribu-
tions to urban sustainable development by small and large-scale waste recovery and
recycling activities.
Waste paper recycling: Chandaria and Madhupaper
Although waste paper recycling in Nairobi is the most important sub-sector in waste
recovery, reuse and recycling and is carried out on a large-scale, there are only a few
large enterprises involved in the activity. These are Chandaria and Madhupaper, both
owned and managed by the Chandaria group of companies^11. The central player in
waste paper trade is a single wholesaler, Kamongo, and not the dealers or small
buyers, as is the case in scrap metal, glass and plastics. Kamongo is also under the
same ownership, but poses as the main broker for waste paper for the giant Pan
African Paper Mills located in Webuye in Western Kenya, also owned by Chandaria.
Chandaria acquired Madhupaper in 1987^12. In highly politicised circumstances. This
made Chandaria the only paper recycling company in Nairobi. Below is a diagram^13
of the paper recovery and recycling chain.
- This is a group of Asian business magnates, with interests ranging from high technology equipment
and pharmaceuticals to waste paper recycling, not only in Kenya but also in the East African region. - This was during the single-party political rule, generally characterized by wide-scale abuse of political
power against those perceived to be anti-establishment. - There are other large recycling companies outside Nairobi These however still obtain a high propor-
tion of their waste paper from Nairobi through Kamongo wholesalers and are moreover still associated
withChandaria in ownership, organisation and operations. We did not find small-scale paper recy-
cling activities in the city.