Beauty brand L’Oréal East Africa is celebrating a series of national recognitions for environmental and workplace performance at its manufacturing facility on Mombasa Road, Nairobi. The company was named winner of the Overall Resource Efficiency Award at the 2026 Industry Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Awards, alongside category wins for Energy Management, Solid Waste Management, Greenhouse Gas Emission Management and Environmental Compliance, and first runner-up for Water Use Management.
The facility also received a RoSPA Gold Award for health and safety performance. The celebration, held at L’Oréal House, brought together representatives of the Office of the Deputy President, Kerstin Bird, President of the Sub-Saharan Africa Zone, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), environmental regulators, programme partners and members of the L’Oréal East Africa team.
A rigorous, independent assessment
The RECP Awards are conducted by the Kenya National Cleaner Production Centre (KNCPC), Kenya’s designated National Cleaner Production Centre within the UNIDO/UNEP global network. The 2026 awards formed part of the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) programme, funded by the UK Government, which works with industry to reduce pollution in developing economies. Programme partners include the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Nairobi Rivers Commission and KAM.
Of 225 industries mapped under the programme, 26 underwent a full In-Plant Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Assessment. Recognition was awarded only to facilities that demonstrated measurable, verified improvement across the programme’s thematic areas: water and wastewater management; energy and greenhouse gas emissions; raw materials and solid waste; environmental compliance; industrial symbiosis; and gender equality and social inclusion.
Measurable results, verified by KNCPC Between the 2024 baseline and 2025, the facility reduced water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste and total energy use while increasing production output. These improvements were verified by the KNCPC assessment team. Treated effluent from the site’s effluent treatment plant meets NEMA discharge standards. The facility holds a current NEMA effluent discharge licence and is certified under Kenya’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations for plastic packaging.
“We believe that business growth and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand,” said Kerstin Bird, Zone President, Sub-Saharan Africa, L’Oréal. “At this facility, we are demonstrating how focused action on resource efficiency can support production while reducing water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. These awards recognize the commitment of our team and the progress we are making through continuous improvement. The independent assessment by the Kenya National Cleaner Production Centre makes this recognition particularly meaningful. We are proud of what have achieved so far but see this as part of a longer journey. We remain committed to building on this progress and advancing more responsible manufacturing across the region.”
How the results were achieved
The results reflect a programme of practical engineering and operational changes, implemented by L’Oréal East Africa’s Environment, Health and Safety, Engineering, Production and Supply Chain teams with technical support from KNCPC:
■ Renewable energy and efficiency: the site completed its transition to renewable energy in 2024, drawing on a biomass boiler, a biodiesel generator, solar PV and grid supply. Variable frequency drives, LED lighting with motion sensors, heat-loss insulation and section-level sub-metering have reduced demand from high-load equipment.
■ Water stewardship: a second reverse osmosis unit improves process water quality, while treated effluent and reverse osmosis reject water, once discharged, are now reused for fire hydrant and sanitary systems.
■ Circular packaging and waste: shrink-wrap film gauge has been reduced without compromising product protection; PET bottles are 100% recyclable; and cardboard, plastic, kitchen and hazardous waste are recovered, composted or disposed of through licensed partners.
Mr Nathan Mutiria, Factory Director, L’Oréal East Africa, said every result in this assessment was earned on the factory floor, through careful measurement, disciplined engineering and a team that takes ownership of both safety and the environment. “The RoSPA Gold Award reminds us that caring for our people and caring for the environment go hand in hand. We will continue to work with KNCPC, NEMA and our partners to protect the Nairobi Rivers Basin and the communities that depend on it.” Mr Mutiria said.
The ability to produce more efficiently, minimise waste, reduce environmental impacts, and maximise value is increasingly essential to business success, according to Kenya Association of Manufacturers, which notes that L’Oréal’s achievement demonstrates what is possible when sustainability is embedded in operational decisions and supported by a deliberate commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.
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“It is an example of responsible, future-fit manufacturing in practice. At Kenya Association of Manufacturers, we believe that a competitive manufacturing sector must also be a safe, sustainable, resource-efficient, and resilient sector,” said Mr Tobias Alando, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM).
Manufacturing in East Africa, for East Africa
The Mombasa Road facility is L’Oréal Group’s only manufacturing site in East Africa. It produces local brands including Nice & Lovely, Versman and Gold Touch, alongside Garnier and Mixa, serving consumers across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia.
The facility’s progress supports Kenya’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, national efforts to restore the Nairobi Rivers Basin, and the country’s transition to a circular economy. It also contributes to L’Oréal Group’s global 2030 sustainability commitments, which include reaching 100% renewable energy across operated sites, using 100% recycled or reused water for industrial purposes in its factories, and sourcing 50% of packaging materials from recycled or bio-based sources.
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