This hybrid workshop, which took place on 17-18 August, 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, was sponsored by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and co-organized by UNCTAD, the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), the Kenyan State Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Tanners Association of Kenya (TAK).
1st Workshop on Eco-Tanning Processes in Kenya and the East African Region Read More »
SMEP funds new manufacturing pilot projects to address organic waste challenges, which involve repurposing waste as inputs for new value chains, as well as to test wastewater treatment technologies across a range of industrial sectors in Kenya.
SMEP funds pilots for circular and innovative technologies in Kenya Read More »
Community trust, inclusive design, and women’s leadership are turning recycling into a fairer green economy. In many West African cities, plastic waste is both an environmental crisis and a missed economic opportunity. Informal waste systems often mean unsafe working conditions, limited job security, and few meaningful opportunities for women and young people. GIVO (Garbage In,
Beyond Recycling: How GIVO is building a more inclusive circular economy in West Africa Read More »
The third edition of the Africa Waste is Wealth Summit (AWWS III), held in June 2026, brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders from across Africa – government agencies, private sector actors, UN bodies, financiers, researchers, and innovators – united by a common agenda: transforming waste from a problem into an economic and environmental opportunity.
SMEP grantees make their mark at the 3rd Africa Waste is Wealth Summit Read More »
Geopolitical shocks are exposing the fragility of global fertiliser supply chains. A surprising solution – and a major development opportunity – lies rotting in the fields. Worker at pineapple leaf decortication line at Mananasi Fibre, Nairobi, Kenya. Somewhere on the outskirts of Thika, Kenya, a pineapple leaf processing facility hums through its daily routine. Workers
The ninety-eight percent opportunity Read More »
Event Details Date: 23 June 2026Time: 18:30-19:30 CESTVenue: Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), Switzerland International trade in used textiles plays an important role in supporting textile circularity by extending the life of garments, reducing pressure on disposal systems, and supplying affordable clothing to consumers in many developing countries. At the same time, concerns about textile
Used Textiles in Practice: Trade, Impacts and Development Pathways Read More »
Climate action is accelerating. Governments, businesses and investors are looking to circular economy models, cleaner production and green industries as part of the transition to a more sustainable future. But what kind of work is being created in this transition? At COP30, countries agreed to establish a Just Transition Mechanism. This has been welcomed as an opportunity
From climate ambition to decent work: what just transition means in practice Read More »
The SMEP Programme has teamed up with the Ethical Trading Initiative – Join us on 19 May 2026 from 10:00-11:00 (BST) for Just transitions in manufacturing: integrating human rights and environmental sustainability, the next webinar in the ETI insights series featuring lessons learnt from the SMEP Programme. This webinar has now ended. You can access a recording of the webinar here.
A three-part online webinar series on plastics end-of-life systems in Sub-Saharan Africa Session 1: Making plastics recovery models viableThursday 7 May 2026 Session 2: Traceability, standards and regulatory alignmentWednesday 13 May 2026 Session 3: Substitutes, compostability and regional pathwaysWednesday 20 May 2026 All sessions start at 09:00 UTC / 10:00 WAT / 11:00 CAT /
Making Plastics Recovery Work: Viability, Traceability and Transition Pathways Read More »
Oil price shocks reach far beyond the pump: into the plastic and synthetic fibres woven through global trade. Yet material substitutes, derived from agricultural residues and renewable biomass, already produced in developing countries, remain constrained by trade rules, standards and market access. © UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)/Maria Durleva | Plastic nurdles, small pellets made from fossil fuels or recycled plastics, used as the raw material