“Our product is almost five to seven times stronger than concrete,” said Matee, the founder of Nairobi-based Gjenge Makers, which transforms plastic waste into durable building materials.
“There is that waste they cannot process anymore; they cannot recycle. That is what we get,” Matee said, strolling past sacks of plastic waste.Matee gets the waste from packaging factories for free, although she pays for the plastic she gets from other recyclers.These are high density polyethylene, used in milk and shampoo bottles; low density polyethylene, often used for bags for cereals or sandwiches; and polypropylene, used for ropes, flip-top lids and buckets.
Matee, a materials engineer who designed her own machines, said her factory has recycled 20 tonnes of waste plastic since its founding in 2017.She plans to add another, bigger, production line that could triple capacity, and hopes to break even by year end. Matee set up her factory after she ran out of patience waiting for the government to solve the problem of plastic pollution.