Trash To Treasure: Inside Chandaria Industries' Waste Recycling Business

• Chandaria Industries began its operations in Kenya as a small tissue paper manufacturer in 1964
• The company has been thriving on the production of eco-friendly recycled products from waste papers in Kenya
• Chandaria Group Chief Executive Officer Darshan Chandaria noted they have touched thousands of lives in Kenya through their business operations

TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia brings over five years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Did you know that every time you buy tissue paper, you create employment opportunities for thousands of Kenyans while saving the planet at the same time?

That young man who often collects waste papers in your yard or compost is definitely at work and for a good cause.

Chandaria Industries is among the companies that employ this group of Kenyans.

For the past five decades, Chandaria Industries has been known as the largest manufacturer and distributor of tissue, hygiene, and various products in East and Central Africa.

Chandaria Group employs thousands

The conglomerate champions environmental conservation as well as empowering lives economically.

Chandaria Group Chief Executive Officer Darshan Chandaria notes they get 100% of their raw materials (waste papers) in Kenya, buying directly from the local waste collectors.

"Our message to Kenyans has been, do not burn or dispose of waste papers. Bring it to us and earn a living out of it. We recycle waste and transform it into resourceful national wealth, creating jobs for thousands of Kenyans."

The Group directly employs between 1,000 and 5,000 workers and indirectly creates employment for more than 30,000 Kenyan families.

Darshan noted that the company creates sustainable synergies between its varied groups of workers.

"When putting in place our automated systems, we identified the problem, and how to resolve it whilst ensuring we maintained synergies between different teams in the organization," he said.

According to Commonwealth Strategic Partner, Chandaria Industries is the only company in the sector that manufactures 100% of its products in Kenya.

The company, which operates in Kenya and Tanzania, sells its products in 15 African countries.

Chandaria Group champions environmental conservation

The government of Kenya set a target to plant 15 million trees by 2032 to increase the country's forest cover.

The initiative has been a key component in Chandaria Group's sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The company has been engaging in various tree-planting activities - for instance, the tree-planting drive organised by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in conjunction with the Nairobi Green Line at Nairobi National Park.

“Our recycling operations in Kenya and Tanzania have saved over 30 million trees since 1964, a measure based on the weight of waste paper recycled. However, we still don’t get as much waste paper as we need,” said the CEO, as quoted in How we made it in Africa.

Chandaria Group achievements

Chandaria Group deals in eco-friendly recycled products with sustainable packaging and is committed to protecting the planet every day.

These waste-recycled products include serviettes, facial tissue & travel tissue, and kitchen essentials.

In 2022, the company was awarded both the Household Category Leader and Best Household Category Assortment of the Year at the Jumia Vendor Awards.

It also won the East Africa Brand Quality Award for the Best in Class Manufacturing in the region.

Waste paper recycling in Kenya

In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported about MOMO Group, a company founded in 2017 with the aim of transforming lives and communities through environmental conservation.

MO&MO Chief Executive Officer Mahamud Omari said the firm produces MOMO Pencils from 100% recycled newspapers.

The firm produces a monthly capacity of 3,000,000 pencils and targets to donate to over one million needy students.