A Machakos based waste management and recycling startup, Taka Pay, has launched a software application that will enable the county handle waste management digitally.
According to the Recycling Manager at Taka Pay, Brian Otieno, the software will use Google + codes and Geographic Information System (GIS) to improve waste collection and management within the county.
Among the aspects that are set to be digitized include the control of collection routes to be followed by garbage collectors. It will also map out customer locations and also monitor the performance of waste operators.
Speaking to the media at the Trade offices in Machakos, Otieno said that they are in the process of mapping out garbage collection points within the county. He noted that through the App, they will be able to collate the details of the waste disposers in institutions and organizations and thereafter integrate their phone numbers into the system.
“We are in the process of mapping the areas where waste disposers are located by keying in their details such as landlords and tenants as they will be required to login and upload photos of their waste in the App and the Plus Code will help indicate their exact location for the waste agents to access them,” said Otieno.
The App will also manage revenue collection for the startup. Otieno explained that the application has been configured in such a way that at the end of the month it will be easy for Taka Pay to track the amount received from customers.
Additionally, Otieno revealed that the waste management and recycling outfit will also help in keeping the county clean by collecting garbage and clearing bushes around commercial areas, institutions and residential areas.
Otieno said the collected waste will then be sorted into different categories. The plastics will be recycled into shopping baskets, dustbins and fruit baskets whereas glass waste will be sterilized then treated and repurposed into candle holders, drinking glasses, lampshades, salt shakers and home decors for domestic use or commercial purposes.
“We are managing the waste from the source, not just cleaning the environment without knowing where the waste comes from,” said Otieno.
While outlining the milestones that the company has achieved since it was set up in May this year, the Recycling Manager said that company has so far helped create jobs for over 260 people within Machakos County. Otieno said the numbers are expected to go higher once Taka Pay rolls out its services to other counties.
Taka Pay’s Communication Manager, Elizabeth Mueni noted that they chose to start with Machakos due to its high population. Mueni said that Machakos also has the best balance of industrial and domestic waste, a factor which will help them to realise their impact in society.
Mueni revealed that there are plans to partner with the County government to set up a solid waste recycling plant for plastic, paper and glass in the county. The proceeds from the projects, Mueni said, will be used to construct hawking stalls and markets where some of the recycled products will be sold.
She also added that the company plans to set up waste collection bins on busy streets and markets across the county which will ease garbage disposal and minimize the negative impact of waste on the environment and human health.
By Anne Kangero
