DANDORA........ The dumpsite that hides immorality

Case Study: The Plastic Waste Crisis in Kenya – A Spotlight on Dandora Dumpsite

Date: April 26, 2025 

Location: Dandora Dumpsite, Nairobi, Kenya 

Conducted by: Smart Afrogrics

Objective: Assessing the potential of utilizing plastic waste as a raw material for electroplastication. 

Background 

Plastic waste continues to be a significant environmental and socio-economic issue in Kenya, despite numerous interventions from both the government and the private sector. The Dandora dumpsite, Nairobi's largest and oldest landfill, illustrates this problem vividly. Spanning more than 10 acres and adjacent to three major residential neighborhoods—Korogocho, Dandora, and Luckysummer—the dumpsite serves as both a crucial resource and a threat to the health of thousands of residents.

A study was carried out at the location to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing plastic waste in electroplastication, a new technique for turning plastics into functional electrical components, by Smart Afrogrics, an organization dedicated to sustainable technology in Africa.

Key Observations

1. Massive Inflow of Waste

150 garbage trucks unload waste at Dandora per day on average.

An estimated 3,000 tons of garbage are deposited daily.

2. Dominance of Plastic Waste

Approximately one-third (1,000 tons) of all waste is composed of plastics.

Only 3–4% of this plastic is recycled every day, despite its volume.

3. Poor Pay for Trash Gatherers

The pay for informal waste collectors, many of whom are young people or marginalized people, ranges from 15 KES to 30 KES per kilogram, which is hardly enough to cover their basic expenses.

4. Safety and Crime Risks

 Dandora dumpsite is also a crime zone.

The Smart Afrogrics team was brutally assaulted using crude weapons, alcohol bottles and knives in the latter parts of their field work. They had been robbed of their video/documentary equipments.

This was reported at Dandora Police Station, OB number 28.

Conclusion

Even after the August 2017 prohibition of plastic bags in Kenya, plastic waste is a very serious threat, particularly in informal and poorly controlled areas, such as Dandora. The mere quantity of plastics and little reuse/repurposing points to a key possibility of sustainable interventions like electroplastication. Nevertheless, the problems of insecurity, waste collectors exploitation, and poor implementation of policies erase any significant improvements.

Smart Afrogrics summarizes that the possibility of processing plastic into a resource is real, but systematic changes, such as enhancement of security, formalization of the waste management sector, and investment into recycling technologies are urgently needed to turn plastic waste into a blessing rather than a curse.

Recommendations

Empower the local recycling facilities to boost plastic repurposing.

Enhance the security at the waste management points to guard researchers and workers.

Empower the informal waste collectors by giving them better remunerations and acknowledgment.

Spread new applications of plastic waste, as with the electroplastication project of Smart Afrogrics.

Incorporate the local community leaders in the waste management plans to create a friendly environment and diminish enmity.

Research Division Smart Afrogrics

Date: 26th April 2025