Lorna Rutto: Repurposing Plastic to Reduce Waste  

It is undeniable that plastic is a menace to the environment. In Nairobi alone, approximately 2,400 tonnes of waste is generated daily and a large proportion of that is plastic. Though convenient, the material is often single-use and non-biodegradable. These mountains of plastic clog up landfills and threaten ecosystems worldwide. In this crisis, Lorna Rutto made it her personal mission to ensure that plastic could be reused rather than accumulated. 

Making a Difference at Home

Born in 1984, Lorna Rutto grew up in the Kaptembwa Slums in Nakuru and experienced the negative effects of littered plastic up close. As a schoolgirl, it saddened her to see her home overrun by waste. At times, disposal services would neglect to pick up garbage and it would overflow to people’s homes making living conditions less than ideal. 

Lorna decided to dedicate herself to taking at least some of the plastic off the streets surrounding her home by crafting jewelry and ornaments. She would collect and melt down plastic to create something new out of something wasted. At school, she presented these upcycled trinkets to her fellow students and even managed to make some money from the venture.  

Becoming an Entrepreneur

Despite a small but promising start in environmental awareness, Lorna’s journey took a different turn. Entering a turbulent job market, she opted for a more traditional route and studied a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting. But even as she embarked on a new career at Imperial Bank, the problem of waste still weighed heavily on her mind. In 2009, much to the chagrin of her inner circle, she left her cushy banking job and joined forces with Charles Kalama – a co-worker at the bank with an enthusiasm for the environment that matched Lorna’s. Together, they made plans to begin a trailblazing business called EcoPost. 

Like many entrepreneurs, funding became a stumbling block for the budding environmentalist. But she did not let this stop her. Lorna approached donors and eventually won $6,000 – enough to make EcoPost a reality. 

Through the business, Lorna returned to her childhood hobby of repurposing plastic by creating a plastic substitute for timber fencing posts, houses and even traffic signs. Her plastic material was sturdy enough to rival any wood or iron. She set up a plant where collected plastic was remade into aesthetic and durable lumber. Initially, the plant was turning over 5 tonnes of waste a month. Steadily, this number climbed to a whopping 30 tonnes monthly. Her enviable list of clients has included the Kenya Wildlife Service who have used the fencing to cordon off wildlife and the UN which has used the posts to construct refugee camps. 

Impacting Lives 

The brilliance of the company lies in the number of problems it addresses. Providing a quality alternative to timber reduces deforestation and makes use of plastic waste from communities just like the one Lorna grew up in.  

At the same time, Lorna’s company has created hundreds of jobs for Kenyans. She made sure that youth passionate about the environment could find jobs in the sector rather than being boxed into other professions like she was initially. In fact, she began an initiative to support women who collect waste from dumpsites. EcoPost supplied a shredder and scale, and the women could receive direct payment for supplying the plastic to EcoPost. 

For her efforts to reduce plastic overload, Lorna was recognised as a Sub-Saharan Africa laureate by the Cartier Women’s Initiative in 2011. The Initiative also spotlighted Lorna as one of their honourees under ‘Preserving the Planet’ at their 15th anniversary in March 2022. 

As of October 2022, EcoPost had produced more than 10,000 fence posts and rescued over 250 acres of forested land from being destroyed. Even with this glowing success, Lorna pushes daily for even less deforestation, waste, and unemployment. The indelible mark she has left on Kenya’s environment, job market and waste solutions make her one of #OurGoalGetters.