Silafrica: Solutions for Beverage Companies to Move Towards Recyclable Packaging in East Africa

Akshay Shah, Group Executive Director at Silafrica, explains how the leading rigid plastic packaging manufacturer in Kenya is helping the beverage sector move towards recyclable packaging in East Africa.

“Silafrica is a significant producer of packaging for the beverage sector in East Africa. We supply to pretty much all the beverage companies in the multinational category and to quite a few in terms of the local brands as well. And these are the companies that are very cognizant to the need to become 100% recyclable in their packaging. Examples of success are where we have been able to increase the use of recycled content in their tertiary packaging, such as the returnable packaging they are using. We have also made the packaging more recyclable by removing the printing and replacing it with embosing. The brand is still there, but it is basically a 3D shape within the packaging. By removing the ink or the label, the material is a lot easier to recycle. We are also looking at how we can help some of our companies transition from using wooden pallets – which are again bad for the environment because you are cutting down trees – to using plastic pallets, ideally made out of plastic packaging waste. So, that we are giving this plastic material a new life that will continue to be used for years and years”, says Akshay Shah.

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