Plastic pollution is a massive problem in Kenya. Not only due to domestic waste, but also the millions of tonnes of plastic waste imported from countries such as the US (out of sight out of mind approach…). The country lacks the proper recycling infrastructure to deal with these plastics resulting in massive landfills and the burning of plastics. The country also has a road problem: 90% of roads in Kenya are unpaved.

Gjenge (Swahili for “build yourself”) is a company founded in 2018 that takes three of the seven types of recyclable plastics (such as water bottles) and turns them into bricks for roads, courtyards, sidewalks and more!

The company is able to sort, process, and pulverize 10 metric tonnes of plastic into small pieces every month. These bits of plastic are then mixed with sand and heated (between 300-400°C) until its soft enough to mold. This mixture is then compressed by hydraulics creating a plastic brick that is as hard as concrete and 25% cheaper.

The founder, Nzambi, won an award from the United Nations in 2020, and wants to grow her business internationally. In her words: “Plastic waste is a worldwide problem. And so if we can figure out how to solve it in our local (area) then it’s easy to replicate that solution”.

It’s one of many solutions to repurpose single use plastics into useable goods, but it does have some downsides in terms of the potential for microplastics to be released into the environment due to road abrasion. The real onus for reducing plastic waste is for major polluters (such as Coca Cola, Pepsi Co., and Nestle) to 1. reduce plastic production and use in their products and 2. implement more robust and efficient means of recycling and re-using single use plastics.