TAKA-EX
TAKA-EX (Taka-taka Exchange)
TAKA-EX (Taka-taka Exchange) is a circular economy platform that enables businesses, schools, households, and residential communities to earn income from recyclable waste. By purchasing a certified recycling station and registering on the TAKA-EX platform, participants gain access to a network of verified recyclers who collect, purchase, and process sorted materials. This system bridges the gap between waste generators and recycling markets, helping to formalize and monetize the informal waste sector across Africa.
Participants trade in high-demand materials such as PET and HDPE plastics, scrap metal, cardboard, paper, and glass bottles. To join, users procure a certified TAKA-EX recycling station equipped with three clearly labeled bins — for organic waste, general waste, and recyclables — and register online. Once onboarded, they can track their waste volumes, schedule pickups, and receive mobile payments for their sorted recyclables, creating both environmental and economic value.
ABYT Associates are youth entrepreneurs trained to recruit and support vendors in biofeedstock recovery and organic waste management. They provide tailored solutions to households, farms, schools, and enterprises, that help vendors monetize waste by connecting them to formal bioeconomy value chains. These activities not only create livelihoods but also foster inclusive green development.
TAKA-EX addresses a critical challenge: only about 4% of Kenya’s recyclable waste is recovered through formal systems, according to a 2021 UN-Habitat report. The rest is either burned, illegally dumped, or mixed with other waste, making it economically unrecoverable. In Nairobi alone, an estimated 2,400 tonnes of waste are generated daily, of which nearly 60% is recyclable, yet most of it never reaches a recycling facility (UNEP, 2020). Across Africa, recyclable waste streams represent a $6 billion untapped market, with a growing demand for feedstock among local recyclers, packaging manufacturers, and sustainable product developers.
By digitizing the value chain and making it easier to sort, track, and sell waste, TAKA-EX offers a scalable solution to urban waste crises. The platform supports compliance for institutions, transparency for collectors, and accountability for communities. In doing so, it contributes to reduced landfill burden, job creation in the green economy, and greater circularity across domestic and commercial waste flows.
TAKA-EX is not just a recycling program — it’s a movement to transform how African communities perceive and profit from waste. With proper infrastructure and incentives in place, we believe every household and business can become part of a cleaner, more sustainable future.
