KENYA · GUIDE 0763 · EDITION 4.7
Plastic bottle collection in Kenya: Pricing, Costing and Cash Flow Example
Editorial update: 28 October 2026 · Business planning reference · Review scope
Use one accepted sale unit throughout
Work through a fictional KSh 2,500.00 invoice against KSh 2,200.00 of selected cost lines; distinguish the invoice from collected cash.
This is a planning reference for plastic bottle collection. The order below is an invented teaching case. It is not a completed customer job, an operating approval or a prediction of demand or earnings.
The example offer and its boundary
Fictional PET-bottle pickup: receive six source-separated sacks of empty beverage bottles from four authorized premises, with illustrative 80 kg gross,2 kg tare and 10 kg rejects, leaving 68 kg before buyer acceptance. Collect only the exact bottle grade agreed with a real buyer; exclude chemical/medical containers, unknown plastics, shredding, melting and unapproved washing. A resin mark assists identification but does not guarantee the buyer accepts every item.
Charging basis to confirm: Accepted kilogram. The rates and quantities below are teaching assumptions. Even a previously recorded listing is not adopted here as a current quotation or an earnings forecast.
Itemised arithmetic
| Selected input/activity | Quantity | Assumed unit rate | Selected cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sorting/collection hours | 3 | KSh 400.00 | KSh 1,200.00 |
| Approved transport trip | 1 | KSh 700.00 | KSh 700.00 |
| Collection sacks | 6 | KSh 40.00 | KSh 240.00 |
| Handling-protection allocation | 1 | KSh 60.00 | KSh 60.00 |
| Calculation | Teaching result |
|---|---|
| Selected cost total | KSh 2,200.00 |
| Priced/accepted output | 1 example units |
| Assumed selling price | KSh 2,500.00 |
| Assumed invoice | KSh 2,500.00 |
| Difference before excluded costs and tax | KSh 300.00 |
Illustrative cost is KSh 2,200. One collection fee at 2,500 yields 2,500 revenue and 300 pre-tax surplus before compliance/storage/overhead/tax. No resale income or purchase cost is assumed; obtain actual buyer terms.68 kg is a fictional net scenario, not a guaranteed accepted amount or market rate.
Check cash timing and a weaker outcome
TRAINING-0763: a fictional order for the scoped offer in section 01, using 1 priced units at KSh 2,500.00 each. Buyer group: Households, institutions and a confirmed authorized downstream operator. No buyer was contacted and no order was completed.
Teaching invoice = 1 x KSh 2,500.00 = KSh 2,500.00. The selected input lines in section 06 total KSh 2,200.00; their difference from this assumed invoice is KSh 300.00 before excluded costs and tax.
For cash-timing practice only, suppose a buyer pays a 30% advance of KSh 750.00. The invoice balance is KSh 1,750.00. If the selected input bill is paid before the balance arrives, additional cash of KSh 1,450.00 is needed after applying the advance. The advance is counted once, not again at final collection.
On full collection, total receipts are KSh 2,500.00. Cash against the selected example bill is KSh 300.00 before other payments. If a hypothetical 10% increase in the largest selected line (Sorting/collection hours) adds KSh 120.00, the unchanged invoice leaves KSh 180.00 against that revised bill.
If the customer instead leaves 10% of the invoice unpaid, KSh 250.00 is a receivable. Cash collected is KSh 2,250.00 and collected cash less the selected bill is KSh 50.00. This differs from invoice margin; do not spend the unpaid amount as though it is already cash.
The scenario is complete only as a teaching record of the stated lines. Add actual excluded startup and operating costs using file 12, and replace every assumed rate before relying on a quote. Use measured accepted output for the actual invoice; unaccepted output is not automatically chargeable.
For an actual quote, add all relevant excluded costs, use measured accepted output, and compare amounts from the same period. An unpaid invoice balance is not available cash. A deposit held for an uncompleted obligation is not automatically earned income.
References and their limits
Mr Green Trading Africa Kenya: Home
Primary Kenyan recycling business route; no current PET grade, acceptance price or contract inferred. Reference check recorded 2026-10-26.
TakaTaka Solutions: Waste Recovery
Primary operator sorting/destination context; no independent collector contract or acceptance terms inferred. Reference check recorded 2026-10-26.
NEMA: Waste Management in Kenya
Official waste-handling/transport/disposal framework; actual activity/provider requirements must be confirmed. Reference check recorded 2026-10-26.
Recorded references support only the scope stated beside them. They do not prove current supplier stock, a local quotation, actual buyer demand, operator competence or the feasibility of this particular business. Later editorial changes do not refresh earlier source-check dates.
Prepared by Business Starter Guides using AI-assisted drafting and desk editorial checks. Independent operator trials and specialist certification are not claimed. See the editorial method for the review scope.
Editorial method and evidence limits