Kenyan ecopreneur Lorna Rutto is the inspired leader of EcoPost, a social organization established in response to the urgent need for alternatives to traditional trash management methods, given Kenya’s massive plastic waste problem. She launched her business in 2009, which gathers plastic garbage and produces fence posts that are economically feasible, incredibly robust, and crucially ecologically beneficial. These posts are extensively utilized in Kenya. Lorna was chosen as the sub-Saharan Africa laureate for the renowned Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards in 2011.
In addition to giving Kenya a viable economic alternative to lumber, Lorna has also removed more than 1 million kg of plastic trash from the environment, created over 300 employees, and brought in much-needed funds. She has received various honours and prizes for her domestic and international services.
Lorna Rutto had more than her fair share of experiences with poverty as a young kid while growing up in the Kaptembwa Slums in Kenya. She also encountered unemployment, rubbish and rotting waste in the streets, and blocked, overflowing sewers that infringed on people’s houses. When she was a young student, she first became environmentally aware when she saw how much plastic debris was strewn over the surroundings. She started small by recycling this plastic waste and creating unique jewellery and little trinkets by melting the plastic, moulding it, and embellishing it into new items. She made a tiny profit by selling her artistic creations to classmates and acquaintances at school,l.
However, it was only a minor step toward raising environmental awareness.
After graduating high school, she attended college and earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. She then started a career in banking, which was a wise decision considering the challenging job environment in Kenya at the time. Instead of focusing on financial systems and structures, she yearned to engage with people and the scientific sector since she didn’t feel fulfilled doing so.
EcoPost is a successful business that promotes sustainability today. The project not only offers an efficient method for managing the enormous volumes of plastic garbage generated in Kenya every day, but it also transforms that waste into valuable fence materials that protect forests at risk from logging. By establishing over 300 jobs for women and young people previously marginalized in society, EcoPost is also directly addressing the horrible unemployment problem in the nation. The EcoPost business plan aims to generate 100,000 new employees over the following 15 years. With the firm eliminating more than 1 million kg of plastic garbage from Kenya’s urban slums and saving about
Lorna and her eco-business, EcoPosts, are inspiring and show how it’s possible to build a successful and sustainable company in Africa while significantly influencing the environment and nearby communities.
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