The beauty products manufacturer won the Overall Resource Efficiency Award at the 2026 Industry Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Awards. Kerstin Bird, president of L’Oréal’s Sub-Saharan Africa zone/ HANDOUT L’Oréal East Africa has emerged as Kenya’s top resource-efficient manufacturer after cutting resource consumption and environmental impacts while increasing production at its Nairobi factory, underscoring the business case for cleaner industrial production.
The beauty products manufacturer won the Overall Resource Efficiency Award at the 2026 Industry Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Awards, alongside category honours in energy management, solid waste management, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental compliance.
The recognition highlights how manufacturers can improve operational efficiency, lower production costs and reduce their environmental footprint through investments in cleaner technologies, recycling and better management of energy and water. The awards, organised by the Kenya National Cleaner Production Centre (KNCPC), come as Kenya seeks to strengthen its manufacturing sector, improve industrial competitiveness and promote sustainable production practices.
Kerstin Bird, president of L’Oréal’s Sub-Saharan Africa zone, said resource efficiency was increasingly central to the company’s manufacturing strategy. “We believe that business growth and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand. At this facility, we are demonstrating how focused action on resource efficiency can support production while reducing water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,” Bird said.
The company’s Mombasa Road factory completed its transition to renewable energy in 2024, combining a biomass boiler, a biodiesel generator, solar photovoltaic systems and electricity from the national grid. Other measures include installing variable frequency drives, energy-efficient LED lighting with motion sensors, heat-loss insulation and equipment-level energy monitoring to reduce power demand.
The factory has also introduced water-reuse systems that allow treated effluent and reverse osmosis reject water to be used in fire hydrant and sanitary systems rather than being discharged. Its waste reduction programme includes using recyclable PET bottles, reducing shrink-wrap film thickness and recovering cardboard, plastics and other materials through licensed waste management partners.