BY NDUGU ABISAI (Daily Nation)

With a circular model and growing market reach, Jil Industries proves that recycling can drive both profit and sustainability

When the two brothers started in 2014, they did not have a name for their company. They operated informally in Mombasa as a run of the mill plastic aggregators. Arvind and Bipin Bhudia were not even sure that their idea would translate to a profitable venture. They would in 2019 settle for the dual meaning ‘Jil Industries’ as their company name, inspired by their sister’s name— Jil—which also doubles up as an abbreviation for Jil Industries Limited.

“We were just known as plastic recyclers,” shares Arvind Bhudia, the CEO and co-founder of Jil Industries.

“The idea for the recycling venture came from a friend in India who was collecting and sorting waste from households and selling it to aggregators. This inspired my brother, Bipin, who realised that Mombasa lacked similar recycling initiatives. Later, we received basic training in plastic sorting and recycling from the said friend, which laid the groundwork for the company.”

Even though they had settled on a company name, they did not formally register it until 2020. “Our formative years were our product(granules) testing years,” says Arvind, adding,  “We wanted to test the product against industry standard, and when the orders started coming in from clients from as far as Nairobi, it was time to make things official.” Jil Industries’ main product is granules made from recycled plastics collected from three. Coastal counties— Mombasa, Kwale, and Kilifi.

The plastics are gathered by aggregators from households, land- ills and dumpsites who then sell to the company. The granules are an essential raw material in manufacturing other products like water tanks. They offer an alternative to virgin raw material often imported by manufacturers in their processes. This process, a 100 percent circular economy. And much more sustainable in the long run.

Operating in the Coastal region is strategically important due to the prevalence of plastic waste ending up in the Indian Ocean. Jill Industries actively participates in and supports beach cleanups and collaborates with Community-Based Organisations involved in waste collection.

They train these communities on proper waste handling. The company’s efforts aim to prevent plastic waste from reaching oceans and rivers, thereby protecting marine ecosystems. While significant positive impact has been made in Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa over the past decade, the increasing population means there’s still a considerable gap between waste collection and processing capacity.

“Beyond profits and the enterprise arm of our company, we desire to live in a greener, cleaner city. Living next to aquatic life means that our actions as households and companies, directly affect not just the quality of marine life, but also determines longevity of life in the ocean.”

Like many enterprises, their success hasn’t been without challenges and moments of doubt. “For the first two years, we faced challenges in finding a consistent market for our recycled product. The training we received was based on the Indian market, and was not directly translatable to the Kenyan context. However, we eventually secured a client in Nairobi who purchased our granules. We spent a year and a half in a monitoring and trial phase to ensure the quality of our product met the client’s specifications.” For recyclers like Jil Industries who are at the centre of the value chain another key challenge is economic instability.

“If manufacturers halt raw material purchases due to economic issues, recyclers are significantly impacted. This directly affects smaller enterprises, collectors, and aggregators” Currently, Jill Industries collects approximately 150 tonnes of plastics monthly. With the support of new automated washing plant equipment acquired through the Kenya Climate Innovation Center, they aim to double their production to over 300 metric tonnes per month within the next five years. This expansion is expected to create more local employment opportunities and significantly reduce waste in the environment.

“We plan to invest further in recycling and move into manufacturing. Currently, we are training our focus in the manufacture of commercial and development-oriented plastic products that can be diversified across different sectors such as agriculture, construction, and household items,” adds Arvin. The last decade has offered plenty of   lessons.

“One crucial lesson is perseverance. Don’t give up easily, as success depends on mentality and learning from mistakes. The second lesson is good record-keeping. Maintaining accurate records, especially financial ones, is crucial for tracking progress, identifying challenges, and planning for expansion and investment. Lastly and very importantly is compliance with authorities. Complying with authorities can open doors to opportunities with investors and financial institutions.”