The Sugarcane Waste Challenge

On a hot day in Kiambu, few things are as refreshing as freshly peeled sugarcane. Sugarcane is a familiar street snack in Kiambu, Nairobi and many other growing towns across Kenya. It is also a source of livelihood for the roadside vendors who peel and sell it every day. But after we enjoy the sugarcane, what happens to the peels? In this video, we start where the story really begins — at a roadside sugarcane stall. We meet a vendor, talk about his business and how much sugarcane he sells, and ask what happens to the peels left behind. Then we follow the waste. Away from the roadside stalls, large quantities of sugarcane peels can accumulate at dumping sites. What begins as relatively clean organic material can become difficult to manage when it is dumped, mixed with other waste, contaminated or burned. For EcoMulch, seeing this waste stream raised a simple question: Could there be a better way to manage sugarcane peels? That question led us to start collecting and experimenting with the material ourselves. And, as we discovered, finding a better use for green waste isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds. This is the first of two videos about our journey with sugarcane peels. In Part 2, we follow what happened when EcoMulch began collecting the peels and trying to put them to better use. EcoMulch Kenya — Sustainable Urban Greening Recycling Green Waste. Say No to Bare Soil. Greening Urban Spaces. #SugarcaneWaste #GreenWaste #OrganicWaste #Was