AfDB Supports Circular Economy Businesses Across Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is supporting circular economy businesses across Africa through a program aimed at helping these enterprises scale up. This initiative seeks to strengthen green industrialization and the local processing of African resources.

The program is led by the African Circular Economy Facility (ACEF) in collaboration with the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA). Its first cohort includes nine companies operating in ten African countries, addressing broader industrial challenges.

In Kenya, Chemolex has harvested 45,000 tonnes of water hyacinth, an invasive plant, and is converting it into a biodegradable substitute for conventional plastics. This demonstrates how some companies in the cohort are already leading by example.