Transforming Waste To Wealth

Votes: 25
Views: 4002

We transform post consumer plastic waste to manufacture plastic lumber; this plastic lumber is a durable and affordable alternative to timber, which reduces the need for building material manufactured from wood. This helps to preserve forests by lowering deforestation rates and decreasing the effects of climate change. Plastic lumber made from recycled plastics are ideal for building fencing on farms, real estates, national parks, forest reserve areas, commercial places and construction purposes.

Background Statement:

Solid waste management is one of the environmental problems that most African cities are struggling to manage. As the number of residents in most cities is increasing so is the production of solid waste. Very unfortunate, effective environmental and sustainable measures to manage the waste are lacking. On the other hand, we have realized that need and cost for timber/wood is rising due to increase in building and construction activities. We realized that If only we could produce an alternative product to timber that was strong, longer lasting, cheaper and environmentally sustainable, we could definitely profit from the profitable timber market while helping to save Tanzania’s forests. Plastic waste gives us an opportunity to manufacture a better and reliable alternative to timber. Using post consumer plastic waste our business uses a simple manufacturing technique known as injection moldings to convert shredded and melted plastic into durable and environment-friendly plastic lumber

Our Innovation
To recycle these unwanted plastic waste that are dumped and disposed everywhere littering the streets and clogging sewers and encroaching people’s homes into a less expensive, durable, good looking and environmentally friendly plastic lumber. The plastic lumbers are normally made in 10ft on average and shaped either round or square. Unlike timber plastic lumber, they do not rot, are termite resistant, are water proof and last longer than timber, does not entertain growth of mould, do not splinter, outlast timber in application, can be assembled, drilled and nailed as easily as timber.

Our Innovation Goal is for coming three years to withdraw over 1 million kilograms of plastic from the environment and use them to manufacture plastic lumber and then we will be saving an estimated 200 acres of forest that would have been cut, same time we will be preventing 2,500 Tons of Carbon dioxide gas emissions further mitigating the climate change. (Plastic recycling saves 2.5 kg CO2/kg plastic)

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Christian Mwijage
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Business Owner/Manager
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    2
  • Christian is inspired by:
    We want to be a part of solution to the Climate change issue, that we have designed a product to replace the use of wood from timber so as to conserve our forests and maintaining them as water catchments areas because forests act as carbon sinks by removing CO2 from the atmosphere hence mitigating climate change. Our innovation ensures health environment, preserving our forests, reduce the carbon gases that occurs during burning of plastic waste in landfills which mitigate the climate change and also provides employment opportunities.
  • Patent status:
    patented