The creation of construction materials like concrete and steel are maybe a third of all green house gases. This approach may cut down on that greenhouse gas production and recycle plastics at the same time. It could cut the cost of such materials in developing economies. This is a smile/smile development.  I like that phrase better than win/win.

Kenyan Woman Recycles Plastic into Bricks that are Stronger than Concrete!

By Eliza Erskine

Nzambi Matee is turning recycled plastic into bricks that are stronger than concrete! According to Reuters, Matee’s bricks can be thrown against a wall and do not crack.

Matee is the founder of Gjenge Makers, in Nairobi. “Our product is almost five to seven times stronger than concrete. There is that waste they cannot process anymore; they cannot recycle. That is what we get,” she told the outlet, showing off loads of plastic waste that can’t be recycled.

She produces 1,500 bricks every day, using a mix of different plastics. She gets packaging from factories for free but pays for plastic from recyclers. To make the brick, Matee heats sand, plastic and compresses them into different bricks, which are sold for construction purposes.

Matee is a materials engineer and has been at work on this business since 2017. Her factory has recycled 20 tonnes of plastic waste since she founded the company. She is planning to add a larger production line and plans to break even by year-end. Her factory was set up to help solve plastic pollution, after waiting for the government to take act

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Go there and read. More next week

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