Solid Waste Management and Recycling

TRADE AND RECYCLING OF URBAN INORGANIC SOLID WASTE IN NAIROBI 185

The larger Asian waste traders are replacing smaller dealers whose main source of
waste materials was the municipal waste stream. This process has implications on the
socio-economic viability of the small-scale recycling enterprises at Kamukunji, partic-
ularly with regard to the production costs. Kamukunji entrepreneurs indicate that
buying waste materials is one of the major problems in SS metal recycling, second
only to the lack of markets owing to the intricate dealer-dominated waste materials
market arrangements at the site.

Use of virgin materials
The virgin materials used comprised of metal sheets, galvanized iron, tin plates and
aluminium. These are more expensive and only small quantities are used. 17 (52
percent) of the enterprises hardly use any virgin materials. The quantities ranged from
0-300 kg per month and averaged 82 kg. The table below provides information of
virgin material usage by the 17 enterprises.

Table 8.7. Types of virgin materials and number of enterprises using them

Type of material Number enterprises using Percent

Paints
Clay
Galvanised iron sheets
Tin plates
Steel
Aluminium
Black sheets

11

2

11

5

2

1

1

65

12

65

29

12

6

6

Table 8.8. Quantities of virgin materials use per month and number of enterprises using them

Quantity in Kg/p.m. No. enterprises using Percent

< 1
1-50
51-100
101-150
151 – 200

200

13

8

2

3

4

3

76

47

12

18

23

18

Note: (N=17)

Source: Karanja, fieldworka

a. The data indicate the total consumption of virgin materials per month. Disaggregation at enterprise
level of consumption of specific material types proved difficult.